A murder suspect is in custody after the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office initiated a manhunt in the Bucoda area Thursday afternoon.
The suspect, identified by the sheriff’s office as Steven L. Messex, 43, reportedly fled on foot after the Thurston County Sheriff Narcotics Task Force located him in the 19300 block of state Route 507 in Bucoda on Thursday, according to a Facebook post by Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders.
Messex was allegedly involved in a fatal shooting near Percival Creek in west Olympia that was reported at approximately 4:50 a.m. on July 20, according to reporting by The Olympian.
Responding officers “found a 34-year-old woman, later identified as Savannah M. Feiler, who had been shot to death,” according to The Olympian.
The shooting was “reportedly prompted by an argument,” The Olympian reported.
Olympia police began offering a cash reward July 31 to anyone with useful information about Messex.
A K9 track for Messex in the Bucoda area after he was seen Thursday afternoon was unsuccessful, prompting law enforcement to shut down a section of state Route 507 in Bucoda and initiate a manhunt.
“You will see a massive presence of deputies, officers, and SWAT team operators as we prepare for a multi day manhunt until Steven is found,” Sanders said in a Facebook post.
Thurston County K9 Igo, SWAT personnel and Olympia Police Department officers successfully apprehended Messex at about 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to Sanders.
“Thank you to all of our regional partners who assisted to bring this person to justice,” Sanders said in a Facebook post.
In addition to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, assisting agencies included the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Tenino, Centralia and Yelm city police departments, Thurston County 911, Washington State Patrol, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Marshal Service and BNSF.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office also thanked Domino’s Pizza for delivering food to the SWAT team and treats for K9 Igo during the manhunt.
