LEXIS ROBERTS 12, found dead LA, MOM dead in AZ CONVICTION!

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First brought over by Nutt in Ali Lowizer's thread Oct 13, 2010:

In case anyone comes across the report of these remains.....they have been ruled out as being Ms. Lowitzer.

The first report said age between 8/15, then later it went to 12/16 and this report says.... 15/22.

Bones still unidentified
By Taylor Aswell | The Natchez Democrat

Published Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Harrisonburg — The identity of human remains found in the woods north of Harrisonburg is still unknown.

Though reports that the bones may have been those of a missing Texas teen surfaced Tuesday, Sheriff James Kelly told the Catahoula News Booster that dental records did not match.

Investigators hope a cause of death will be determined in the next few days.

According to Kelly, the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call from a hunter Friday evening, claiming he had found what appeared to be a human skull.

Catahoula Parish deputies arrived at the scene and confirmed that the remains found were human.

Forensic pathologists from Louisiana State University and Dr. Mary Manhein, forensic anthropologist, were also called to the scene.

Investigators believe the remains to be that of a teenage girl between the ages of 15-22.

The remains indicated that the victim had braces on her teeth, long dark hair and was small framed.

Evidence also suggested the body had been at the location for several weeks.

Anyone having any information that may be connected to the case please call the CPSO at 318-744-5411.

http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2010/oct/13/bones-still-unidentified/
Edit to fix subject title.  MB

[cartfly]

Trying to bring over some of the articles. The body found in Harrisonburg, LA id' as LEXIS. Mother Sueellen has not been located. There has been a flurry of updates in the state in the last week or so.

Police hunt 'dead' man
Mississippi native declared dead now thought to have role in girl's death

November 5, 2010

 Louisiana Gannett News

ALEXANDRIA — His relatives thought Thomas Steven Sanders was dead.

But authorities say the resourceful Las Vegas man, whose nickname is "Spider," is very much alive — and armed and dangerous.

They are looking for Sanders, 53, on a federal kidnapping warrant in connection with the abduction of a Las Vegas girl whose skeletal remains were found last month in a wooded area near Harrisonburg in Catahoula Parish.

Police say the victim — 12-year-old Lexis Kaye Roberts of Las Vegas — was shot multiple times. Her body was found by hunters on Oct. 8, and police believe it had been there at least a month. She was identified, primarily through dental records, on Oct. 26.

At a news conference Thursday in Alexandria, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies talked about the case and showed a video of Sanders buying ammunition at a Las Vegas Walmart on Sept. 3.

"The ammunition Sanders purchased was consistent with the caliber weapon used during the homicide," Catahoula Parish Sheriff James Kelly said.

Sanders is originally from Mississippi and has relatives in Catahoula Parish. Authorities aren't sure where he is now, but they say he could still be in Catahoula Parish or the surrounding area — or he may be long gone.

They have tracked his apparent trail from Las Vegas to Catahoula Parish. En route, he was seen in Arizona with Lexis and her mother, Suellen Roberts, at tourist sites, including the Grand Canyon.

Roberts, 31, of Las Vegas is now listed as missing. She is not considered a suspect.

Police believe Sanders went through Albuquerque, N.M., Amarillo, Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, Shreveport and the Monroe area on his way to Catahoula Parish, where he spent some time when he was young.

Kelly; Stephanie A. Finley, U.S. attorney for Louisiana's Western District; and David W. Welker, special agent for New Orleans FBI division, were among those discussing the case Thursday and urging anyone who sees Sanders to call the FBI or local police immediately. The FBI hotline to report information is (800) 225-5342.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20101105/NEWS01/11050335/Police+hunt++dead++man

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Hunt Continues for Kidnapping Suspect
Posted: Nov 04, 2010 6:41 PM CDT

video at the linkhttp://www.klfy.com/global/story.asp?s=13449047


        FBI Names Kidnapping Suspect

Steven Sanders Steven Sanders
Suellen Roberts Suellen Roberts

We have a new picture to show you of the man sought for the kidnapping of a twelve year old Las Vegas girl, whose body was found in Louisiana.

This is the photo released Friday of Thomas Steven Sanders. In this picture, he's clean shaved and has black hair.

He is still on the loose. If you see this man, Thomas Steven Sanders, call 911 immediately.

A manhunt is underway a month after human skeletal remains were found in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish.

The FBI announced Thursday it has issued a federal kidnapping warrant for Thomas Steven Sanders, a man last believed to be with a 12 year-old Nevada girl whose body was later discovered in the Bayou State.

Law officers say Lexis Kaye Roberts was last seen with her mother and Sanders. His image was captured on a surveillance video at a Wal-Mart in Las Vegas. In the video Sanders can be seen wearing a green shirt with glasses on his head. He is seen buying ammunition.

The girl's body was found last month in a wooded area near Harrisonburg. Experts say she had been shot several times. Federal agents say the ammunition Sanders purchased was consistent with the caliber weapon used during the homicide.

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

Sanders is missing his upper teeth and only has two lower teeth. He's reported to have a tattoo on his chest and a scar on his abdomen. Investigators say he has a criminal history. But, his history is a lot more complicated than that. If you see this man, Thomas Steven Sanders, call 911 immediately.

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*I also read some wheres that  AMW is going to do a story on the case  on  11/13/10**


Officials: Suspect lived unnoticed after 'death'

Posted: Nov 5, 2010 7:43 PM by Alison Haynes

http://www.katc.com/news/officials-suspect-lived-unnoticed-after-death-/

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - After the skeletal remains of a slain Las Vegas girl were found in the woods of central Louisiana, the investigation led authorities to a startling conclusion: The man suspected of kidnapping her was supposed to have died 16 years earlier.

As federal and state investigators mount a nationwide manhunt for Thomas Steven Sanders, they are still trying to piece together how a man who abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead in 1994 lived unnoticed for years.

Even though authorities arrested him on multiple charges during that time, they never realized he had been declared dead.

Sanders' relatives in Louisiana haven't heard from him in years, said Toney Edwards, an investigator for the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Department.

"He dropped out of his life, but maintained a criminal record throughout that time," Edwards said.
A federal warrant was issued Thursday accusing Sanders of kidnapping 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, whose skeleton was found by hunters early last month. Her 31-year-old mother, Suellen Roberts, is missing. Officials say she is not a suspect in her daughters death - and they hope she has not met with foul play.

"We still consider her a missing person," Edwards said.

A few details about Sanders' movements are beginning to emerge.
Investigators know he lived in several states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Nevada.

Sanders worked as a laborer, a welder and a scrap metal collector, but left little record behind, Edwards said. He lived under his own name but avoided putting that name down in writing, investigators said.

"He didn't have utilities turned on in his name, didn't have credit cards, didn't sign up for stuff," Edwards said. "He was out of general society."

The last time Sanders' family saw him was in June 1987. His wife, Candice Sanders, divorced him the next year, claiming she was in poverty and was apparently hoping to collect benefits to support their three children.

She was granted a divorce in February 1988 "on the statutory grounds of habitual, cruel and inhuman treatment," according to a divorce decree obtained by The Associated Press. The divorce records said the couple married in Feb. 2, 1979, and lived together until June 28, 1987.

Sanders' parents, brother and ex-wife petitioned a Mississippi court in July 1994 to have him declared dead, according to court records obtained by The AP.

Mississippi officials would not release a copy of Sanders' death certificate, citing privacy issues.
There is no requirement to report a death to the Social Security Administration, said Wesley Davis, a spokesman for the agency.

"We're concerned with benefits received illegally," Davis said. "A younger person would probably not be receiving benefits so if he kept paying to that account it would not attract attention."

Despite the Mississippi death certificate, Sanders was able to move about easily, said FBI agent Robert King.
"There's no national death database," King said. "He could have established a new identity or maybe just stuck to the old one and still slipped through the cracks."

Sanders used Tom and Steve as first names over the years, and the nickname "Spider," investigators said.
He did collect a string of arrests during the period, Edwards said.

According to records obtained by the Associated Press, his arrests included possession of drug paraphernalia and a number of traffic and motor vehicle incidents, all in Tennessee.

 He was sentenced to two years in Georgia for simple battery. State and federal authorities said some of the charges involved minors, but they refused to elaborate.

Although suspects are supposed to be fingerprinted when arrested and the prints submitted to the FBI national database, the practice is not always followed, said Ronnie Jones, a professor of criminal justice at Southeastern Louisiana University, and consultant to law enforcement agencies.

In many places, he said, "you can just sign for a misdemeanor arrest and not be taken to jail. And if it's a relatively minor offense sometimes the practice is allowed to slide."

In Nevada, Sanders met Suellen Roberts and her daughter Lexis a few months ago, Robert's grandmother told investigators. The trio was in Williams and Flagstaff Ariz., and the Grand Canyon National Park over the Labor Day weekend, according to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.

Hunters found Lexis' remains in the deep woods of Catahoula Parish in early October. There was evidence she had been shot.
"From the beginning we thought it must have been a local person because it was such a remote area," Edwards said.

Investigators got a break when a Catahoula woman called to tell them of a missing Las Vegas woman and her daughter, Edwards said. "She said the man they were with was from Louisiana."

Before he was declared dead Sanders had spent a lot of time in Louisiana, Edwards said, including time in Catahoula Parish.

Officials said security cameras showed Sanders buying ammunition on Sept. 3 at a Wal-Mart in Las Vegas. The bullets he bought were consistent with the weapon used to kill Lexis, police said.

Sanders, who had long white hair and a white beard, cut his hair short and dyed it black and shaved his beard before he left Las Vegas, Edwards said.

"We're hoping somebody will recognize him sooner or later," Edwards said. "He's going to have to eat, find a way to pay for things. We're hoping he'll surface."

[Nut44x4]

Girl's body found; mother missing
posted 6 hours, 4 minutes ago

MANCHESTER – A 31-year-old woman born and raised in Manchester is missing and her 12-year-old daughter has been slain in a case that has federal authorities looking nationwide for the girl's kidnapper and potential murderer.

The girl, Lexis Kaye Roberts, was also born in Manchester, but left the city eight years ago with her mother to move to Las Vegas, said her great aunt, New Hampshire resident Patricia Cloutier. The girl and her mother -- Suellen Roberts, 31 -- have family in New Hampshire. And Lexis visited Cloutier and her family every summer, enjoying a New Hampshire respite from the desert heat.

In early October, Hunters found Lexis' body outside Harrisonburg, La., according to a statement issued last week by the FBI in New Orleans. She had been shot multiple times, and authorities needed dental records to positively identify the skeletal remains.

The FBI said they have issued a warrant charging Thomas Steven Sanders with Lexis' kidnapping. Suellen Roberts also of Las Vegas, has been missing since she and her daughter went on a Labor Day getaway trip with Sanders.

"She was at a low point in her life, and he charmed her into trusting him," Cloutier said yesterday.

Authorities said Sanders was declared legally dead by the state of Mississippi in 1994, when family members said he vanished. However, once his connection to the Roberts' case became apparent, the FBI found he was alive and had ties to several states across the country.

The FBI said Sanders, 53, worked as a welder, scrap metal collector, night watchman, pallet fabricator and handyman. He has a history of exchanging vehicles through auto salvage yards.

He has no upper teeth and only two lower teeth; he also has a scar on his abdomen. His Nevada license shows a photo of a man with a bushy gray beard and thinning hair line.

The last anyone has heard from Suellen Roberts was a cell phone call on Sept. 5, the Sunday of the Labor Day weekend, Cloutier said.

"I really don't have any idea (what's happened to her). Her daughter is dead. The authorities are not hopeful they will find Suellen alive," said Cloutier, her aunt.

Cloutier said Suellen Roberts is the daughter of Gary Roberts and Mary Woodburn. She attended Hallsville School and Hillside Middle School. She dropped out, but later earned her GED. She said Lexis' father still lives in Manchester and was never a part of her life.

Suellen and Lexis moved to Las Vegas during the boom times, and she dedicated herself to raising her daughter, Cloutier said. But when the economy went bust, she lost her job with a medical supply company and had to move in with her mother.

She was discouraged, stressed out and struggling. Then Sanders came along. He plied her with jewelry and clothes, and bought clothes and toys for Lexis, Cloutier said. Suellen told Cloutier about her new friend, and Lexis assured her New Hampshire relatives he treated them well.

The Labor Day trip was to visit the Grand Canyon and the Bearizona wildlife park in Williams, Ariz., Cloutier said. She said Suellen's signature was recorded at a gift shop that weekend, and they stayed at a motel in Flagstaff, Ariz.

But on Friday, Sept. 3, a camera in a Las Vegas Walmart recorded Sanders purchasing ammunition, the FBI said. That ammunition is consistent with the caliber weapon used to kill Lexis, the FBI said.

Cloutier said Suellen was dedicated to her daughter and did anything she could to make her life better. Suellen was a hopeful person, which made it easy for her to trust a man like Sanders, her aunt said.

"She just had some hard knocks in life. She has a good heart and was trying really hard. She just didn't get any breaks," Cloutier said.

Authorities say Sanders is 5 foot 8 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds or more and has brown eyes. He was last seen driving a silver 2001 Kia Spectra.

The fact he was thought dead for 16 years makes Cloutier shudder.

"Who knows how many other victims he may have?" she said. "The more we learn, the stranger it gets."

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=40c318b7-622c-4652-bc6f-df2b055b3b68&headline=Girl%27s+body+found%3b+mother+missing

[Nut44x4]

Louisiana.....

Fugitive spotted in Sabine Parish, detectives investigating sightings

Submitted by Daniel on Mon, 11/08/2010

On Thursday, Nov. 4 at 5:18 p.m., a Florien woman notified the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Dept. that she saw Sanders on the news and that he fits the description of a man who tried to lure her 10-year-old daughter in his truck last week.

The local woman, who lives on the Plainview Road, told local detectives that the man was driving an older model white truck with numerous five gallon buckets in the back. She said it looked like diesel had been spilled down the sides of the truck.

The concerned mother said she had notified Florien school, who in turn advised the bus driver. The bus driver, according to local detectives, said that he noticed a truck parked at Prewitt Chapel Church behind the sign for several days, and when the bus passed, the truck would follow it.

All parish and local units have been notified and faxed copies of Sanders’ photo.

Reports of a sighting in Zwolle were also fielded by Sabine Parish detectives.

http://www.thesabineindex.com/index/node/4321

[Nut44x4]

Suspect in kidnapping of Nevada girl nabbed in Mississippi
Published: Sunday, November 14, 2010, 1:53 PM     

Thomas Steven Sanders, a suspect in the kidnapping of a Nevada girl who was later found dead, was arrested this morning in Mississippi, the FBI announced

Sanders, 53, was arrested around 7 a.m. at the Flying J Truck Stop by Gulfport FBI agents and Harrison County Sheriff's Deputies. Sanders was being sought on federal kidnapping charges obtained in the Western District of Louisiana for the abduction of Lexis Kaye Roberts, age 12, of Las Vegas. 

On the evening of Oct. 8, human skeletal remains were found in a wooded area north of Harrisonburg. The remains, later identified as being Lexis, were found by hunters who reported it to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office. The investigation that followed led to Sanders being charged with kidnapping.

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

Anyone with information  regarding this ongoing investigation should call the FBI's tipline: 800.CALL.FBI (800.225.5324).

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/11/suspect_in_kidnapping_of_nevad.html

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Suspect in kidnapping of Nevada girl nabbed in Mississippi
Published: Sunday, November 14, 2010, 1:53 PM     

Thomas Steven Sanders, a suspect in the kidnapping of a Nevada girl who was later found dead, was arrested this morning in Mississippi, the FBI announced

Sanders, 53, was arrested around 7 a.m. at the Flying J Truck Stop by Gulfport FBI agents and Harrison County Sheriff's Deputies. Sanders was being sought on federal kidnapping charges obtained in the Western District of Louisiana for the abduction of Lexis Kaye Roberts, age 12, of Las Vegas. 

On the evening of Oct. 8, human skeletal remains were found in a wooded area north of Harrisonburg. The remains, later identified as being Lexis, were found by hunters who reported it to the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Office. The investigation that followed led to Sanders being charged with kidnapping.

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

Anyone with information  regarding this ongoing investigation should call the FBI's tipline: 800.CALL.FBI (800.225.5324).

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/11/suspect_in_kidnapping_of_nevad.html

Thanks Nutt for keeping on top of this case, I just caught this in the local newswire. No mention of Sueellen sadly.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7294876.html
FBI: Man once thought dead arrested in kidnapping
November 14, 2010




JACKSON, Miss. — A man who was declared legally dead 16 years ago in Mississippi was arrested Sunday in the kidnapping of a slain Las Vegas girl whose body was found in the woods of central Louisiana, the FBI said.

FBI spokeswoman Sheila Thorne said Thomas Steven Sanders was arrested early Sunday at a truck stop in Gulfport, Miss. The arrest capped a massive manhunt in a bizarre case that stretched across the country.

Court documents obtained by The Associated Press show Sanders abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead by a Mississippi court 1994. He lived unnoticed for years despite being arrested several times.

Sanders, 53, was wanted in the kidnapping 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, whose skeleton was found by hunters early last month. Her 31-year-old mother, Suellen Roberts, is missing. Officials say she is not a suspect in her daughter's death — and they hope she has not met with foul play.

Thorne said Sanders was alone when he was arrested at the Flying J Truck Stop by FBI agents and Harrison County sheriff's deputies. She would not release other details about his arrest.

Despite being declared dead, Sanders had been able to move about the country easily. Investigators know he lived in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Nevada. He worked as a laborer, a welder and a scrap metal collector.

According to records obtained by the AP, his arrests included possession of drug paraphernalia and a number of traffic and motor vehicle incidents, all in Tennessee. He was sentenced to two years in Georgia for simple battery. State and federal authorities have said some of the charges involved minors, but they refused to elaborate.

In Nevada, Sanders met Suellen Roberts and her daughter Lexis a few months ago, the slain girl's grandmother told investigators. The trio was in Williams and Flagstaff Ariz., and the Grand Canyon National Park over the Labor Day weekend, authorities said.

Hunters found Lexis' remains in Catahoula Parish Oct. 8. There was evidence she had been shot.

Officials said security cameras showed Sanders buying ammunition on Sept. 3 at a Walmart in Las Vegas. The bullets he bought were consistent with the weapon used to kill Lexis, police said.

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Thank God this POS was caught. But where is Sueellen at?
What could be his motive? Did he not think he would stick out like a sore thumb anywhere he went? Why kill the child? It just defies all reason.


JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A man who was declared legally dead 16 years ago in Mississippi was arrested Sunday in the kidnapping of a slain Las Vegas girl whose body was found in the woods of central Louisiana, the FBI said.
FBI spokeswoman Sheila Thorne said Thomas Steven Sanders was arrested early Sunday at a truck stop in Gulfport, Miss. The arrest capped a massive manhunt in a bizarre case that stretched across the country.

Court documents obtained by The Associated Press show Sanders abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead by a Mississippi court 1994. He lived unnoticed for years despite being arrested several times.

Sanders, 53, was wanted in the kidnapping 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, whose skeleton was found by hunters early last month. Her 31-year-old mother, Suellen Roberts, is missing. Officials say she is not a suspect in her daughter's death - and they hope she has not met with foul play.

Thorne said Sanders was alone when he was arrested at the Flying J Truck Stop by FBI agents and Harrison County sheriff's deputies. She would not release other details about his arrest.

Despite being declared dead, Sanders had been able to move about the country easily. Investigators know he lived in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Nevada. He worked as a laborer, a welder and a scrap metal collector.

According to records obtained by the AP, his arrests included possession of drug paraphernalia and a number of traffic and motor vehicle incidents, all in Tennessee. He was sentenced to two years in Georgia for simple battery. State and federal authorities have said some of the charges involved minors, but they refused to elaborate.

In Nevada, Sanders met Suellen Roberts and her daughter Lexis a few months ago, the slain girl's grandmother told investigators.

The trio was in Williams and Flagstaff Ariz., and the Grand Canyon National Park over the Labor Day weekend, authorities said.

Hunters found Lexis' remains in Catahoula Parish Oct. 8. There was evidence she had been shot.

Officials said security cameras showed Sanders buying ammunition on Sept. 3 at a Walmart in Las Vegas. The bullets he bought were consistent with the weapon used to kill Lexis, police said.

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/FBI-Man-once-thought-dead-arrested-in-kidnapping/NhWSq_uNh02PuB_8vTbehg.cspx 



 

[cartfly]

OOps, Muffy we were posting simultaneously, LOL!

[MuffyBee]

OOps, Muffy we were posting simultaneously, LOL!

 I wonder where Suellen is too, and if Sanders will try to make a deal with information he may have to her whereabouts. 

[cartfly]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/14/fbi-man-once-thought-dead-arrested-kidnapping/ 

<snipped from above article-additional info

Investigators received a tip a few days ago that Sanders was frequenting the truck stop, which led to his arrest this morning, King said. Sanders was alone when arrested, he said.

Sanders still was driving the silver 2001 Kia Spectra tied to the disappearance of Lexis and Suellen Roberts, but the car bore different license plates, King said.

Numerous law enforcement officials are interviewing Sanders to piece together events and continue the investigation, King said.

Sanders will face a federal magistrate judge in Mississippi on Monday for the federal kidnapping warrant issued by Louisiana authorities in early November before likely being extradited back to Louisiana, King said.

[cartfly]

OOps, Muffy we were posting simultaneously, LOL!

 I wonder where Suellen is too, and if Sanders will try to make a deal with information he may have to her whereabouts. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Sueellen was dead before they even left Nevada. I am thinking maybe his motive was the child from the get go.
Either way if they take the death penalty off the table in Louisiana to find out where Sueellen is, Angola State Pen is going to make this POS wish he was dead!  I would personally like to see him get the death penalty but in Louisiana, he will probably die before the sentence is carried out.

Rest in peace Lexis 

[Nut44x4]

Published: 08:25 a.m., Monday, November 15, 2010

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man declared legally dead 16 years ago was arrested in Mississippi for the kidnapping of a Las Vegas girl whose body was found in Louisiana, and authorities were pressing the suspect Monday for information on the girl's missing mother.

FBI spokeswoman Sheila Thorne said Thomas Steven Sanders was taken into custody Sunday at a truck stop in Gulfport, Miss., after a massive manhunt in a bizarre case that stretched across the country.

Sanders, 53, was wanted in the kidnapping of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, whose skeleton was found by hunters last month in Catahoula Parish, La. Her 31-year-old mother, Suellen Roberts, is missing. Authorities fear the mother is dead too.

Catahoula Parish Sheriff James Kelly told The Associated Press on Monday that Sanders is cooperating with authorities. Sanders was alone when he was arrested at the Flying J Truck Stop. He was not armed and did not put up a fight, Kelly said.

"Right now we have a lot more questions than we do answers as far as his activity since we've been looking for him," Kelly said.

Louisiana authorities want to extradite Sanders to face charges there, though it's not clear how long that could take, Kelly said.

Court documents obtained by The Associated Press show Sanders abandoned his family in 1987 and was declared dead by a Mississippi court 1994. He lived unnoticed for years despite being arrested several times.

Despite being declared dead, Sanders had been able to move about the country easily. Investigators know he lived in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia and Nevada. He worked as a laborer, a welder and a scrap metal collector.

According to records obtained by the AP, his arrests included possession of drug paraphernalia and a number of traffic and motor vehicle incidents, all in Tennessee. He was sentenced to two years in Georgia for simple battery. State and federal authorities have said some of the charges involved minors, but they refused to elaborate.

In Nevada, Sanders met Roberts and her daughter Lexis a few months ago, the slain girl's grandmother told investigators. The trio was in Williams and Flagstaff Ariz., and the Grand Canyon National Park over the Labor Day weekend, authorities said.
Hunters found Lexis' remains Oct. 8. There was evidence she had been shot.

Officials said security cameras showed Sanders buying ammunition on Sept. 3 at a Walmart in Las Vegas. The bullets he bought were consistent with the weapon used to kill Lexis, authorities said.

http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Sheriff-Miss-man-once-declared-dead-cooperating-812824.php


~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her (Mom's) body could be just about anywhere...he was obviously a traveling man........

[Nut44x4]

WHOAaaaaaaaaaaaaa NEllieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Body found in Arizona linked to girl in Louisiana

Updated: Nov 15, 2010 6:12 PM EST
PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona authorities say they have discovered the body of a woman believed to be the missing mother of a girl found dead in Louisiana.

Sheriff's officials say the possible remains of 31-year-old Suellen Roberts were found Monday in a remote area off Interstate 40 in northwestern Arizona.

Thomas Steven Sanders was arrested in Mississippi on Sunday in the kidnapping of Roberts' daughter, 12-year-old Lexis Roberts. The girl's skeleton was found by hunters last month in Louisiana.

Authorities say the trio had been spotted in northern Arizona over Labor Day weekend.

Sanders had been declared legally dead 16 years ago.

http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13507239

[Nut44x4]

We should know the results by the weekend... IMO it is her.

[MuffyBee]

We should know the results by the weekend... IMO it is her.

ITA, Nut.  It does sound very possible it could be her. 

[cartfly]

Whoa Nellie is right, Nutt!! Thanks for the update.

[cartfly]

http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13507239

<snipped from update on article: Body found in Arizona linked to girl in Louisiana:>

"Federal investigators provided the Yavapai sheriff's office with information on the likely whereabouts of the woman's body, authorities said.

So I guess he's talking. There was an article in our paper today that he had a court date next week in Alexandria, LA. I will see if I can find it and post.