James Mancuso, who was wanted on a charge of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Robert Stevens in Nampa on March 10, was spotted in Spokane by police officers there. Mr. Mancuso, who was on foot, attempted to run, but was caught and arrested by the officers.
Back in March, police say Mr. Mancuso was involved in an argument with the victim, 30 year old Robert Stevens. The argument led to an altercation in which Mr. Mancuso stabbed the victim, according to police. The victim later died at a hospital.
Mr. Mancuso, age 32, fled with Ashley Ford, age 27. Ms. Ford was wanted as an accessory to second-degree murder and as a material witness in the case.
As police in Nampa searched for the couple, they turned up in northern Bonner County a few weeks later in April, where their vehicle was spotted and pursued by police in stormy, muddy conditions, at times traveling off road. The couple was able to elude officers, and their vehicle was later found abandoned. Soon afterward, the Bonner County Sheriff's office received a report that a white Toyota pickup had been stolen in that same area. It was suspected the couple had stolen that vehicle.
No trace of the couple was found, until 10 days after they had been pursued in Bonner County, when the stolen white Toyota pickup was recovered abandoned April 2 in the Spokane Valley.
Later, in early May, police in Las Vegas, Nevada came upon a female there in an injured condition, and stopped to see if they could offer assistance. They transported her to a Las Vegas hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and released. By that time, her identification as wanted Idaho suspect Ashely Ford had been established, and she was subsequently arrested on her outstanding Idaho warrant. Mr. Mancuso was thought to also be in Las Vegas at the time, but he was not located and his whereabouts were not clear until he was seen and arrested in Spokane over the weekend.
A KHQ news reporter has spoken with Mr. Mancuso in jail, and according to those reports he is denying committing the murder. He further stated he had supported himself while on the run my "doing a lot of odd jobs on Craigslist," and that he had returned to Spokane last month.
Ms. Ford has already been extradited back to Canyon County. It is presumed that at some point extradition proceedings will begin to return Mr. Mancuso to Idaho to face charges there, also.