A multi-state manhunt ended Tuesday afternoon in a remote stretch of Oregon wilderness when federal deputies tracked down and arrested a former Texas correctional officer wanted for child sexual assault.
Kenneth Wayne Leatherwood, 41, of Georgetown, Texas, surrendered without incident to authorities at a secluded campsite in Curry County. At the time of his arrest, Leatherwood was wearing camouflage clothing, closing out a high-stakes search that spanned three states.
The hunt began in earnest on June 15, when the Bastrop County District Attorney’s Office in Texas requested urgent help from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. Leatherwood had failed to appear in court for his trial involving a superseding indictment filed on Dec. 2 in the 21st Judicial District Court. The indictment charges him with the continuous sexual assault of two children. Because of his background as a former correctional officer, investigators noted he possessed law enforcement training.
Tracking his movements, investigators initially found that Leatherwood had taken a job in New Mexico. However, the trail quickly shifted northwest after authorities learned he had stolen a truck from his employer. On June 16, deputies with the Curry County Sheriff’s Office recovered the stolen vehicle at the Lucas Lodge in Agness, Oregon.
Leatherwood had already fled the lodge on foot into the dense forest before deputies arrived. A search of his cabin turned up a firearm, survivalist books, and various personal items. Nearby, along a riverbank, searchers found a dog collar and a baseball cap believed to belong to him.
Recognizing the rugged terrain and the fugitive’s background, the U.S. Marshals Service designated the file as a Major Case on June 18. This designation brought in the specialized Rapid Advancing Manhunt team to support local investigators and the District of Oregon task force.
Five days later, a combined team of U.S. Marshals, District of Oregon deputies, and Curry County sheriff’s personnel discovered Leatherwood’s hidden campsite. He was booked into a local jail, where he will remain through upcoming judicial proceedings and formal extradition back to Texas.
The operation relied on extensive cross-agency collaboration. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force includes the Austin, Georgetown, Lakeway, Round Rock, and San Marcos police departments; the Sheriff’s Offices of Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General; the Texas Department of Public Safety; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Homeland Security Investigations.
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