Update: Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders reported just before 5 p.m. Thursday that the suspect of today's manhunt in Bucoda is in custody. This story will be updated.
Previous report: The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has initiated a manhunt in search of a murder suspect who was last seen 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.
A K9 track was unsuccessful, prompting law enforcement to shut down a section of state Route 507 in Bucoda and initiate the 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.
A Homeland Security helicopter is en route to aid in the search, according to Sanders, as “there is no local air support available in the western half of the state.”
Messex is described as a white male standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He has tattoos of a gargoyle on his right arm and Popeye on his left forearm.
He was last seen wearing no shirt, maroon shorts and black shoes, according to the sheriff's office.
“Please call 911 immediately if you see Steven. Do not engage or make contact with him,” Sanders said,
Residents in the Bucoda and Skookumchuck Road areas are advised to “stay alert.”
