ARIZONA, USA — U.S. Marshals tracked a man wanted in Louisiana in connection to the murder of a teenage girl across the country to Arizona.
The Bastrop Police Department, out of Louisiana, said Montrell Donell Holmes, 44, was arrested on June 27 by the Marshal service in Arizona after the body of 14-year-old Ashley Barnes was found in a wooded area near the 1500 block of Daisy Street in Bastrop, a town in northern Louisiana, about 16 miles from the Arkansas-Louisiana state line.
The department said they used a search warrant and cell phone tower pings to locate Holmes, who is facing a charge of second-degree murder.
In a social media post Asst. Chief Richard Pace issued the following statement:
"It is challenging to take on an investigation of this scope that began with another agency. Our guys have worked non-stop since we were brought in to handle this investigation and I couldn't be more proud of them. We have done our best so that Ashley receives justice and the family may one day find some form of closure. I would especially like to commend Capt. Gerald Givens and Detective Libby Brixey on their investigation and dedication."
The police department did not provide further details about the crime.
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