Fugitive Arrested by U.S. Marshals After Thirteen Years on the Run

Tyler, TX – U.S. Marshals in Spokane, Washington arrested Robert Dean Reese, 54, a Smith County fugitive that has been on the run for thirteen years. Since 2002, Reese has been wanted by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, bond forfeiture, and several Indecency With a Child Warrants.

On April 20, the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force (JETF) in Tyler received a tip that Reese was in Tacoma, Washington. The tip was initiated through the John Walsh show “The Hunt.” After verifying the information, a request for assistance was sent to the USMS in Tacoma, Washington.

On April 21, the USMS conducted several interviews which developed information that Reese had been living on boats in a small harbor outside Tacoma for the last ten years. He rarely left this small community and even arranged for his groceries to be brought to him so he wouldn’t have to leave his boat. The investigation revealed that Reese left this community around March 2015, shortly after The Hunt focused on his fugitive case.

The USMS in Tacoma developed information that Reese was possibly living with a person in Spokane, Washington. The afternoon of May 15th, an individual and a positive location was identified by USMS investigators in Tacoma. This new information was sent to the USMS in Spokane where the Deputy Marshals conducted surveillance and identified Reese at 6708 Royal lane in Spokane, WA.

Deputy Marshals from Spokane, WA arrested Reese without an incident as he was sitting on the back porch of the residence. Reese quickly admitted he was the fugitive wanted out of Smith County, Texas.

The USMS JETF Agencies that participated in the investigation of Robert Reese include the Tyler Police Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Department, and the Tyler USMS.