The thirty-two-year run of one of Arizona’s most elusive fugitives ended this week when Daniel George Brewster was finally escorted back to U.S. soil in handcuffs. On April 2, 2026, the 67-year-old convicted child predator was extradited from Ukraine to Arizona, marking the conclusion of a pursuit that spanned four decades and multiple continents.
Brewster’s disappearance dates back to 1992. At the time, his wife operated a daycare facility in Tucson, and Brewster was facing 15 counts of child molestation and sexual conduct with minors under the age of 15. Rather than show up for his sentencing at Pima County Superior Court, he vanished.
The court convicted him in absentia that November, but by then, Brewster had already slipped through the cracks.
The search for Brewster became a fixture of true-crime television, appearing on “America’s Most Wanted” in 1995 and later on “In Pursuit with John Walsh” in 2020. However, it was the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) taking over the case in 2015 that reignited the investigation.
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Deputy Marshals tracked a digital and physical paper trail that led them through Mexico—where Brewster allegedly used a passport under an alias—and then to potential sightings in Tanzania, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
The breakthrough finally came in early 2025. Investigators developed intelligence that Brewster had settled in Ukraine. Despite the geopolitical complexities of the region, the U.S. Marshals Office of International Operations worked alongside Ukrainian authorities to pin down his exact location. He was arrested in June 2025.
“Daniel Brewster’s capture highlights the extraordinary efforts of determined law enforcement officers, and what can be accomplished when local, federal and international agencies work together for a common purpose,” said Van Bayless, U.S. Marshal for the District of Arizona. He noted that the agency used every resource available to return Brewster to Tucson.
The final leg of the journey involved a high-security hand-off. Because of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Ukrainian National Police transported Brewster from Kyiv to the Polish border. There, Deputy U.S. Marshals from the District of Arizona took him into custody for the flight back to the United States.
For the families of the victims, the news brings a sense of finality that seemed impossible for over thirty years. Pima County Attorney Laura Conover emphasized the severity of the situation Brewster now faces.
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“After decades of waiting for justice, victims can now receive some degree of relief in knowing that he will never be able to walk the streets again and abuse another child,” Conover said. She noted that Brewster is now facing a sentencing range of 155 to 281 years in prison, ensuring that he will likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
The successful extradition was the result of a massive collaborative effort involving the FBI, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, and INTERPOL Washington. It stands as a reminder that for those running from the law, time does not necessarily equal safety. Brewster is currently being held in Arizona awaiting the sentencing he skipped in 1992.
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