FRANKLIN, Va. — The U.S. Marshal Service released new information about the arrest of a Franklin fugitive who was on the run for nearly a year.
Authorities have searched for Tashawnda Drayton since the August 9 shooting that killed 10-year-old Le’Marj Holden in Franklin. Drayton, a rapper known by the stage name "23 Brazy," faces several charges, including first-degree murder.
Drayton’s 10-month stretch on the run ended this week. Thursday, Senior Inspector Robert Bowers with the U.S. Marshal Service sat down with 13News Now to discuss the arrest.
“It was a little surreal," Bowers said, describing the moment U.S. Marshals found Drayton. "[When} you’ve been searching for them for the past 10 months, and then you finally come face-to-face with them, it’s a bit surreal.”
Bowers said finding Drayton was no easy task. He said despite a $20,000 reward, the U.S. Marshals didn’t get any credible tips as to where the suspected killer was hiding.
“I think there were only a few people, at most, who knew where Drayton was actually at, and I think Drayton was inside these structures for months at a time without moving," Bowers said.
Bowers said investigators spent countless hours surveilling the Brookside Square Apartments in Southampton County, where Drayton’s best friend lives. On Tuesday, U.S. Marshals found Drayton hiding in an apartment in the complex, but not in the friend's unit.
“The apartment we found Tashawnda Drayton in was leased by a female who told us later that she was Drayton’s cousin," Bowers said.
According to Bowers, authorities suspected Drayton's family members were hiding the suspected killer early on in the investigation.
The U.S. Marshal said it’s up to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to determine if anyone will be charged for helping Drayton while on the run. 13News Now reached out to the Southampton County Commonwealth Attorney for answers, but we haven’t heard back yet.
Drayton denied 13News Now's interview request from behind bars.