Lawrence PD: ‘We are extremely proud of our officers’ work;’ Butler Twp. shooting suspect in custody
A man suspected of killing and shooting four people in a Butler Township neighborhood is now in custody after a nationwide search.
Police were dispatched to Hardwicke Place and Haverstraw Avenue just before noon Friday on reports of shots fired, Butler Township Police Chief John Porter said Friday afternoon. Police found multiple crime scenes and four people who had been shot. They were all pronounced dead on scene, Porter said.
Our crews on the scene reported that investigators had two houses blocked off on Hardwicke Place with police tape. A third house on Haverstraw Avenue was also blocked off and investigators have been seen entering the house.
Police identified 39 year old Stephen Marlow as the primary suspect and believed he had left the state.
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Porter later identified the victims as 82-year-old Clyde Knox, 78 -year-old Eva Knox, 41 year old Sarah Anderson and 15 year old Kayla Anderson.
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Butler Township Police Department was assisted in the nationwide search for Marlow by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Vandalia Police Department and neighboring states were alerted.
Saturday the FBI said a federal arrest warrant was issued for Marlow after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He was also facing four charges of aggravated murder.
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What we know about Marlow’s capture:
Saturday night Porter told the media that Marlow was taken into custody just before 10 p.m. by police in Lawrence, Kansas.
Lawrence Police Department provided a statement on Marlow’s capture on social media.
“We are extremely proud of our officers’ work tonight and thankful for the peaceful outcome,” the Lawrence Police Department said in a statement.
The arrest happened after officers initiated a city-wide search. An on-duty officer noticed a vehicle matching the suspect’s description in the area of a grocery store located near West 23rd Street and Ousdahl Road.
Marlow was taken into custody without incident.
Emergency scanner traffic provided by our news partners at KCTV in Kansas City reveals the moments an Lawrence Police officer located Marlow.
“One at gunpoint,” the officer said over the radio. The officer then reads the location where authorities say Marlow was arrested and Ohio license plate JES9806. This is the license plate listed to belong to Marlow by authorities.
Around 3 minutes later an officer announces over radio that he has one adult male in their backseat. It is not known of the officer is talking about Marlow.
Porter said local authorities are making arrangements for extraditions in the future.
According to KCTV authorities have said that Marlow is not likely to be extradited Sunday or Monday. The exact date is still unknown.
Marlow is entitled to a court hearing to determine when Butler Township police will bring bring him back to Ohio to face charges. But he could also waive it.
KCTV reached out to Lawrence Kansas Police Department for a comment on the arrest but they have declined at this time.
We will update this story as we learn more.
