Kentucky fugitive among ‘worst of the worst’ breaks his leg evading U.S. Marshals, ending 6 year manhunt

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — A West Virginia man wanted in connection with the 2019 shooting death of a Kentucky man has been captured six years later.

Charles Ray Blevins, 38, was reportedly a U.S. Marshals major case fugitive and was under consideration for the agency’s 15 Most Wanted list, a program to draw attention to some of the country’s most dangerous and high-profile fugitives.

“These fugitives tend to be career criminals with histories of violence who pose a significant threat to public safety. Major case fugitives are considered among the “worst of the worst” and can include murderers, sex offenders, major drug kingpins, organized crime figures, and individuals wanted for high-profile financial crimes,” the U.S. Marshals wrote.

Blevins was previously convicted of second-degree murder in West Virginia in 2009. According to the U.S. Marshals, he was released on parole in 2019, not long before he was accused of shooting and killing a man in South Williamson, Kentucky.

Authorities have searched for him ever since.

In 2024, Kentucky State Police issued a notice requesting Pikeville’s assistance in the search for Blevins.

“Blevins was known to carry firearms, had access to body armor, and had stated that he would not return to prison but would instead engage in violence with any law enforcement officers who attempted to arrest him,” the U.S. Marshals wrote. “Information was developed that Blevins was frequenting a house in the 300 block of Coach Hill Drive in Gaffney [South Carolina]. Investigators began surveilling the residence.”

On March 31, USMS Special Operations Group deputies moved in to make the arrest. Blevins reportedly tried to run through the back of the home but fell and broke his leg, subsequently ending the six-year manhunt.

“Mr. Blevins learned what fugitives have been learning since 1789,” said U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of West Virginia Michael Baylous. “The United States Marshals Service never grows weary in its pursuit of justice.”

U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky Jeremy Honaker said deputies and staff have worked tirelessly to locate and arrest Blevins.

“Yesterday’s arrest was a strong symbolic gesture of this commitment,” he said.