O'FALLON — A several-hour manhunt ended Thursday near a St. Louis suburb with the capture of a man charged in Illinois in the drive-by slaying of a 12-year-old boy who investigators said died while doing school work in his home.
Marcus Powell, 27, was found in a shed at the Runny Meade Estates mobile home park, said resident Bruce Koelling, 44, who saw the capture around 10:15 a.m.
He said about 45 officers converged on the shed, then sent in a dog. Officers followed the dog into the shed with guns drawn and emerged with the suspect. Koelling said he heard Powell yell, but it appeared he surrendered peacefully.
Prosecutors in Madison County, Ill., charged Powell earlier Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder in this week's shooting death of Delarrian Davis of Madison, Ill. Davis also is charged with a related count of attempted first-degree murder.
Investigators say Powell had eluded authorities wanting to question him about Delarrian's death until Powell surfaced near O'Fallon on Thursday morning, ultimately fleeing on foot after a short vehicle chase by police.
The ensuing manhunt prompted at least four area schools to close for the day, and six Catholic schools were placed on lockdown.
Police had stopped vehicles trying to pass through the search area, and were looking in the backseats and trunks for any sign of Powell.
An investigator said Powell wasn't believed to be armed.
Capt. Brad Wells with the Madison County Sheriff's Department told KSDK-TV that the Major Case Squad, which has been investigating Delarrian's murder, was surveying a Wentzville home where they believed Powell was staying.
A vehicle then left the residence, and police tried to stop it. The driver abandoned the car and ran into a wooded area in Wentzville.
They said Powell was then spotted in a second vehicle headed eastbound on Interstate 70. Wells said the vehicle blew through a police checkpoint, lost control and crashed. Powell then got out of the car and was last seen in the search area in O'Fallon.