For Immediate Release

Johnstown, PA – Early this morning, members of the United States Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, New Orleans Division, apprehended Jonathan William Beal, 23, a fugitive on the run from the state of Pennsylvania. Beal was arrested by U.S. Marshal Task Force members at approximately 6:45am at a home in the 800 block of Avenue F, Marrero, LA. Jonathan Beal was located hiding in a bathroom but was arrested without further incident. Jonathan Beal was wanted by the Pennsylvania State Police, Somerset County, for criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and aggravated assault. Beal was from the Somerset area and is suspect of strangling Justine Jackson to death. Jackson had been living in the Meyersdale (Somerset County) area with a relative. Her body was found in a shallow grave Sunday by a hiker along the Great Allegheny Passage in Larimer Township. She had been reported missing on Oct. 28 after she had not been seen for several weeks.

Shortly after the body was discovered and a suspect was identified, State Police requested the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force to assist in locating Beal. Task Force members from the Johnstown area developed information Beal had fled the area and may be in Louisiana. The investigation intensified when U.S. Marshals identified a possible location for Beal in the city of Marrero, a suburb of metro New Orleans. This information was relayed to the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Following the arrest, Beal was lodged in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center pending extradition.

The investigation was a joint effort between the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, the Gulf Coast Regional Task Force and the Pennsylvania State Police. Cambria County Sheriffs assigned to the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force also assisted in the investigation.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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