US Marshals Arrest Accused Sex Offender In Oklahoma Following Fake Death

Accused sex offender from Mississippi Jacob Blair Scott was finally taken into custody on Wednesday night following a dramatic turn of events, including the suspect’s staging of his death and sightings in four different states after his fake suicide.

Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell confirmed to the Sun Herald that Scott was arrested by Marshals at a campground in Antlers, Oklahoma. The mother of the child victim also said Thursday that her daughter “feels safe” following news of her offender’s arrest.

The victim’s mother revealed there was also speculation that Scott was alive and was safe somewhere. Friends and relatives were also suspicious of the events that transpired before his dingy was found abandoned.

On Wednesday, U.S. Marshals revealed that Scott was spotted by several witnesses in four different states across the country since he disappeared in 2018.

According to the Denver Post, a news release on Wednesday from U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington revealed that Scott was seen by witnesses in Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and Colorado ever since he wrote a suicide note and disappeared.

While Scott’s dingy was found off the coast of Alabama while he was out on bond, investigators noted that there was little forensic evidence he really took his own life. His body was never found despite search efforts.

Aside from not having found a body around the area where his dingy was found, authorities also discovered later that Scott took out $45,000 from a certain bank account before he went on to stage his death.

Furthermore, Scott is a veteran who was also awarded with the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained during his deployment in Iraq. U.S. Marshals initially speculated that the 43-year-old military survivalist was in Colorado but he may also have moved around the states mentioned above.

Washington’s release also argued that Scott’s experience in surviving Iraq and his military background, as well as his skills in living outdoors, may be another point of debate on whether he killed himself or lived off the grid before his arrest, The Gazette reported.

Scott was known for his numerous tattoos. One of the most noticeable tattoos that he has is a compass with feathers. “Isaiah 6.7” is inked above the compass. He also has a scorpion tattoo and a machete knife inked on his body.

Scott is originally from Mississippi and was promoted on Wednesday to the U.S. Marshals’ list of America’s “15 Most Wanted” fugitives. He faces 14 counts including child exploitation, sexual battery, and touching a minor for lustful purposes.