Man wanted in homicide at Tuscaloosa AA building captured in Arkansas
A man wanted in connection with the May 14 killing of a 62-year-old man at a Tuscaloosa Alcoholics Anonymous building has been apprehended.
Stacy Lee Drake, 50, was taken into custody Thursday in Arkansas, said Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit. Drake, who was described as transient, is wanted in connection to the death of Russell Thomas Andrews in Tuscaloosa.
Officers with the Tuscaloosa Police Department responded on May 14 to Alcoholics Anonymous, 2025 Jack Warner Parkway, on a report of a suspicious death, said Kennedy. Andrews was identified as the victim.
More: Man sought after 62-year-old found dead inside Tuscaloosa Alcoholics Anonymous building
The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit assumed command of the investigation.
At the time, Kennedy said investigators believed the death was the result of foul play.
Investigators began searching for a man who was last seen around 10 p.m. on May 14 for questioning in connection with Andrews' death. The man being sought was described as homeless and has been in the Tuscaloosa area for several weeks.
At the time, Kennedy said the man may be known as “J.P.” and his last name may be Patrick.
It was later determined that the suspect was using a false name and had only been present in Tuscaloosa a few weeks.
Andrews' vehicle was stolen after his death and a surveillance camera identified the vehicle traveling along an interstate near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border area in the hours after the crime, Kennedy said.
Andrews' vehicle has not been located or recovered.
After an investigation, Drake was identified as the suspect in Andrews' death and a warrant for Drake was immediately obtained on a murder charge.
"Beginning with almost no information and a false name, the shared resources of VCU working together and the processes used in this case to identify Drake should be considered a major success," said Kennedy in a news release.
"At the time of the warrant and the beginning of the law enforcement search, Drake should not have known that he had been identified by VCU but believed that he had escaped unidentified. It was hoped that this would aid in his capture," Kennedy said.
Because Drake was believed to be outside of Tuscaloosa County, and his destination was unknown, the U.S. Marshals Task Force was called to initiate a search for Drake, working with and alongside Federal and State resources nationwide.
Drake was listed as wanted and "be on the lookout" bulletins were issued for Drake, as well as Andrews' vehicle. Since then, the VCU and U.S. marshals have been working to locate Drake in multiple locations throughout the country.
Drake has an extensive criminal history in multiple states, including robberies, carjackings and kidnappings, Kennedy said. He has cases in different states, and well as federal charges.
On June 18, Drake was determined to be the suspect in a double homicide in Oklahoma.
Drake is also a suspect in other crimes in Alabama. In 2010, he was arrested and later indicted for numerous crimes in Pickens County.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Man wanted in Tuscaloosa homicide captured in Arkansas
