U.S. Marshals in Iowa Arrest Washington Murder Suspect

Cedar Rapids, IA – U.S. Marshals today arrested a man in Iowa who is wanted on charges in Washington. 

Mickey Wade Wheatley, 35, is wanted in Okanogan County on charges of murder in the first-degree in connection to a deceased infant in Tonasket, Washington.

On Jan. 28 U.S. Marshals in the Eastern District of Washington contacted U.S. Marshals in the Northern District of Iowa requesting assistance in the location and apprehension of Wheatley, as they believed he was living in Iowa. Task Force officers began to follow up on leads throughout Iowa and developed information that Wheatley was living in Hardin County.

Officers with the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force today narrowed their search to an area in rural Hardin County. Shortly after 9 a.m., U.S. Marshals approached Wheatley in the 700 Block of Ellsworth Avenue in Iowa Falls. Wheatley was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Hardin County Jail where he will remain in custody until extradition to Washington.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for fugitive investigations. Nationwide, 60 local task forces are dedicated to violent crime reduction by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. These task forces also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters. The Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is comprised of officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Waterloo Police Department, Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Department of Corrections.