FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: April 9, 2008 April 9, 2008 Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force United States Marshals Service Inspector Katrina R. Crouse (404) 520-1843   U.S. Marshals Apprehend Atlanta Police Department Murder Suspect   Atlanta, GA – On April 8, 2008, Investigators with the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) working with the Atlanta Police Department and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida located Samuel Jackson Bell. He was arrested after a brief vehicle pursuit with sheriff’s deputies in Lake City, Florida. Bell is the prime suspect in the murder of Cathy Denune. Denune, age 44, was shot and killed this past weekend at an apartment complex at 1000 Collier Road in Northeast Atlanta. Acting on information provided by Atlanta Police, USMS SERFTF Investigators placed Bell southbound in a vehicle on Interstate 75 in North Florida. They immediately contacted Florida authorities and put them on alert. Within minutes, Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputies spotted Bell and initiated a stop of his vehicle. The charges against Bell stem from a shooting that occurred this past weekend at an apartment complex in Northeast Atlanta. It is believed that Samuel Bell had a personal relationship with Denune and that a disagreement led to the shooting. The Atlanta Police Department had identified Bell as a suspect and contacted SERFTF Investigators after learning that Bell had a recent warrant issued for his arrest on a parole violation. During the course of the investigation, USMS SERFTF Investigators learned Bell was traveling in a dark colored 2008 Dodge Magnum and was southbound on Interstate 75 just south the Georgia border. Investigators immediately began contacting various law enforcement agencies in the North Florida area and provided them with a description of Bell, his charges and his vehicle information. At approximately 3:00 pm on Tuesday afternoon, a Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the Dodge Magnum south of Lake City and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver refused to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued reaching speeds in excess of 125 mph. After approximately 10 miles, the vehicle exited the interstate at State Road 47 and was involved in a traffic crash with a civilian vehicle. The suspect vehicle attempted to leave the scene but was stopped by a Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputy utilizing a controlled pit stop. The civilian vehicle, the suspect vehicle and one Columbia County patrol car was damaged in the pursuit. There were approximately 8 to 10 law enforcement vehicles involved in the pursuit. No one was injured. Columbia County authorities took Bell and the driver of the vehicle into custody. A weapon and various drugs were also located in the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, Oscar Lee Joy, Jr., was arrested by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and charged with possession of 20 grams of marijuana, trafficking in cocaine, trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in a controlled substance and resisting law enforcement officers without violence. The sheriff’s office also charged Bell with trafficking in cocaine while armed, trafficking in methamphetamine while armed, aggravated fleeing and eluding and culpable negligence. Atlanta Police Investigators traveled to Florida soon after the arrest and have now charged Bell with murder and aggravated assault. Both Bell and Joy are in jail in Columbia County and they have been refused a bond on the Florida charges. Columbia County Sheriff Bill Gootee said it best when speaking of this capture. He stated “the proven relationship between law enforcement agencies across county and even state lines was the key to this successful apprehension”. More information about the pursuit and arrest can be found at Columbia County Sheriff’s Office website at www.columbiasheriff.com . The U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from the United States Marshals Service, as well as, 27 other local, state and federal agencies. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest the region’s most violent offenders. Since the inception of the task force in September of 2003, the U.S. Marshals SERFTF has closed over 12, 500 felony warrants. Annually, U.S. Marshals locate and arrest more fugitives than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov .