OSAGE COUNTY  —  David J. Murdock, 60, of Stoutland — wanted in several Missouri counties and other states for passing bad checks with a stolen identity — has eluded capture for some time, but his luck ran out last week as he was apprehended in Arizona on an absconder warrant by the Missouri Department of Corrections. He was taken to the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center to await his fate.

“This case has been ongoing for some time, and after a lengthy investigation by the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, Deputy Detective Nick Pappas filed a probable cause statement,” said Sheriff Mike Bonham, noting it was Murdock’s theft from Hilkemeyer Honda Freeburg that got the ball rolling for his apprehension. “Our inquiries with the Department of Revenue led to the connections that eventually identified him.”

Osage County Prosecuting Attorney Amanda Grellner charged Murdock last week with stealing a Honda motorcycle, forgery, and identity theft stemming from a June 20, 2022, incident at Hilkemeyer Honda in Freeburg. Murdock wrote a check totaling $5,342.61 for the bike.

While the case involves the theft of identities and materials, Pappas warned that Murdock is capable of much more in a note to the court.

“He is considered armed and dangerous and an escape risk,” Pappas wrote in his PC statement, adding that Murdock has been an absconder from Probation and Parole since 2019 and has continued to victimize individuals through theft and identity theft. “His conduct clearly shows he will continue his criminal acts if not caught and will not appear in court as he has had several failure-to-appear warrants.”

Pappas noted in his PC statement that Murdock has a long history of this type of crime going back 16 years.

Murdock currently has nine active warrants, with three out of Camden County, two each from Miller and Pulaski counties, and one apiece out of Laclede and Morgan counties. He has also allegedly used identity theft in Greene County.

According to Bonham, Murdock has several previous convictions in other states as well.

Pappas contacted the Camden County Sheriff’s Office on May 17 to determine if they had more information about the individual who signed the check at Hilkemeyer Honda.

While the sheriff there did not have anything involving Murdock, there was an Osage Beach Police Department case involving the second victim pertaining to theft and identity theft.

Upon speaking with Osage Beach Police Detective Steve Owens, Pappas learned that a Ford F-150 truck was stolen from a local business under the same circumstances encountered in Osage County.

Owens noted that a white male who identified himself as the victim wrote a check to a local business for the truck. However, the checking account was not valid, and the truck was reported stolen. Owens told Pappas that his investigation led to Murdock, who was identified as the man stealing the victim’s identity and making fraudulent purchases.

On June 8, Missouri Department of Revenue Special Agent Andrew Delleart contacted Pappas, advising him he was investigating Murdock in Miller County, where another person’s identity was stolen to make fraudulent purchases.

Delleart provided Pappas with a copy of the last three driver’s licenses. The first two images were that of the second victim, and the third was confirmed to be Murdock.

Pappas made the confirmation through the Missouri Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Portal, which shows Murdock’s booking photo, and the Missouri Department of Revenue.

Judge Ada Brehe-Krueger issued a $15,000 cash/surety arrest warrant on behalf of Judge Sonya Day Brandt last week. Bonham is unsure how this is going to play out, considering all the agencies that want a piece of Murdock.

“This may end up in the hands of the FBI, but to my knowledge, they are not actively involved at this time,” said Bonham. “We should be pretty high on the food chain in terms of getting a shot at prosecuting him, but only time will tell.”

In the meantime, Detective Pappas plans to interview Murdock at Fulton to determine whether any stolen items can be recovered, and if he has a partner.

Sheriff Bonham thanked the Missouri Department of Revenue, Missouri DOC, Missouri Highway Patrol, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office, Camden County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Missouri Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.