Just days after he was featured on the television show “In Pursuit with John Walsh,” a fugitive on the run from the Michigan State Police and Berrien County authorities has been arrested in Mexico and extradited to the United States, preparatory to his return to face charges in Berrien County.
The Michigan State Police have announced this morning the arrest of wanted suspect William Troy Stanson. The arrest signifies the great cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies in the United States and Mexico. Stanson’s arrest comes days after he was featured on the Walsh television show on the Investigative Discovery Network. Tips came in hours after the show aired that directly led to the location and arrest of Stanson.
Once it was determined that Stanson was out of the country, the St. Joseph FBI office was contacted, and coordinated efforts leading to the location and arrest of Stanson were undertaken. The FBI obtained an Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution warrant and requested assistance from their Mexico law enforcement partners in Baja California, located in northwestern Mexico.
Stanson has been on the run since 2015 after being charged with both first degree sexual assault of a minor investigated by the Michigan State Police Niles Post and accosting a minor investigated by the Bridgman Police Department. Yesterday, Tuesday, February 4, 2020, the 53 year old Stanson was taken into custody by Mexican authorities, Guardia Eststal de Seguridad of Baja California.
The arrest of Stanson was a culmination of the public’s help and numerous law enforcement agencies working together to include the Michigan State Police, Bridgman Police Department, FBI, U.S. Marshals, Guardia Estatal de Seguridad and the television show ‘In Pursuit with John Walsh’ featuring the investigations on the Investigative Discovery Network. Law enforcement is also thanking the families of the victims for their assistance and cooperation throughout the investigation.
As of this morning, Stanson has been extradited to the United States and will be transported to Berrien County, where he is expected to face charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, and failure to appear for sentencing on the original charge of accosting a minor.
