Veteran who allegedly faked death to avoid child sex abuse charges found

A decorated military veteran who allegedly staged his own suicide to avoid charges of raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter was found by United States Marshal less than a day after he was placed on their “15 Most Wanted” list.

Jacob Blair Scott was expected in court on July 30, 2018, as Jackson County prosecutors charged him with a 14-count indictment for sexual battery, touching a child for lustful purposes, and exploitation of a child.

Scott, 43, was out on bond and failed to show up to court, where he was expected to plead guilty, ABC affiliate Denver 7 previously reported.

The judge issued an arrest warrant and investigators went looking for Scott. They found his abandoned dinghy in tow off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama, with a gun and suicide note.

Authorities later found that Scott withdrew $45,000 from a bank account before his disappearance, but the money was not found. Scott's body was also never found.

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Officials with the U.S. Marshals said Scott's “military background and knowledge of the outdoors may enable him to live off the grid.” Scott served in Iraq and received a Purple Heart in 2011, the agency said.

Over the last 18 months, Scott was allegedly spotted in the Denver area, Mississippi, Nevada and Louisiana.

On Wednesday, Scott was added to the U.S. Marshals' most wanted fugitive list with a $25,000 reward. By Thursday, a tipster in Oklahoma reported seeing a man fitting Scott's description at a mobile home park.

Scott was taken into custody at Pittsburg County Jail in Oklahoma and is currently awaiting extradition back to Mississippi to face the child sex abuse case.

U.S. Marshals Assistant Director for Investigative Operations Jeff Tyler said in a press release that this was the “fastest apprehension of a fugitive in the 37-year history of the 15 Most Wanted program.”