Mississippi man declared dead 16 years ago arrested on kidnapping charges

Mississippi man declared dead 16 years ago arrested on kidnapping charges

2010-11-15 22:56:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (BNO NEWS) -- Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested a man in Mississippi who was thought dead since 1994 on charges of kidnapping, officials said on Monday.

Thomas Steven Sanders, 53, was arrested Sunday morning at Flying J Truck Stop in Gulfport, Mississippi, after a nationwide manhunt took place to capture the man who is suspected of kidnapping Lexis Roberts, 12, from Las Vegas, Nevada, whose body was found in October by hunters in the woods of Harrisonburg, Louisiana.

According to reports, Sanders abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead in the state of Mississippi in 1994 by his family members.

Sanders is thought to be missing most of his teeth and has changed his appearance on several occasions. However, he has been reportedly arrested on numerous occasions, but his identity had not been connected with the man who was declared dead 16 years ago.

Numerous investigative agencies, including the Louisiana State Police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Service, the Office of Louisiana Attorney General, the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services and law enforcement throughout the country have been involved in the case.

The girl's mother, Suellen Roberts, 31, remains missing.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-15