Manhunt for Accused Sex Offender Ends in Chicago

DES MOINES, Iowa – A nationwide manhunt for accused sex offender James Julius Beaudrie ended this morning with the fugitive’s arrest in Chicago, IL. 

The Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, a team of law enforcement officers led by U.S. Marshals in Chicago, attempted to locate Beaudrie around 7 a.m. this morning at an apartment complex in Chicago.  The location was developed during the course of the U.S. Marshals’ investigation in Des Moines as a possible address for Beaudrie’s mother.

Once the arrest team made entry into the apartment, task force officers learned that Beaudrie had fled through a rear door of the apartment moments earlier in an apparent attempt to avoid arrest.  Following a short search of the area, task force officers located Beaudrie who was attempting to hide under a stairwell of the apartment complex.  Task force officers arrested Beaudrie without further incident.

Beaudrie was transported to the Chicago Police Department’s central processing center.  He is expected to be transported later today to the Cook County Jail where he will await extradition back to Iowa.

Beaudrie is wanted by the Des Moines Police Department on eight counts of third-degree sexual abuse following a six-month investigation into allegations that he attempted to sexually assault at least one of his nine children.  An arrest warrant was issued for Beaudrie on April 6.

The Des Moines Police Department requested U.S. Marshals assistance when it was suspected that Beaudrie had fled the state of Iowa.  A nationwide manhunt ensued.

On April 13, U.S. Marshals and the Salt Lake City, Utah Police Department recovered Beaudrie’s abandoned vehicle at a Greyhound Bus Station in Salt Lake City.  On April 17, U.S. Marshals offered a $3500 reward for information leading to Beaudrie’s arrest.  

In all, leads generated through investigation, media coverage, and tips from the public spanned seven states across the nation including Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, and Oregon.  Although the information developed which led to Beaudrie’s arrest in Chicago was not generated through a tip from the public, the Des Moines Police Department and the U.S. Marshals wish to thank the public and the media for their assistance and willingness to come forward to help law enforcement in Beaudrie’s capture.

The United States Marshals Service currently leads seven regional fugitive task forces, including the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in Chicago, and 85 local fugitive task forces, including the Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force in Des Moines.  The Southern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is made up of law enforcement officers from the U.S. Marshals, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). 

“The cooperative effort of the Des Moines Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, which led to the swift arrest of alleged sex offender James Julius Beaudrie, is just one example of the importance of strong working relationships between federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said Michael Bladel, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa.  “We are very fortunate here in the Southern District of Iowa to have such a relationship with the Des Moines Police Department and all of our state and local counterparts.”

U.S. Marshals frequently provide assistance and expertise to other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in support of a wide range of investigations.