KaShawn Nicola Roper, a Kansas City woman wanted for nearly six years on second-degree murder charges, was apprehended in High Springs, Florida, on April 15, 2026, less than one day after the FBI placed her on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The arrest came at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time and unfolded without incident during what local police described as a routine traffic stop.
The FBI Kansas City field office announced that the High Springs Police Department made the arrest with help from the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Alachua County's Warrants Unit Task Force. Tips from the public, triggered by the prior day's announcement and a reward offer of up to $1 million, drove the rapid turnaround.
The case is a textbook example of what law enforcement can accomplish when agencies at every level work together and citizens step forward with information. It also raises a fair question: why did it take nearly six years and the weight of the FBI's most famous list to locate a woman allegedly hiding in plain sight in a small Florida town?
The 2020 shooting and years of flight
The charges trace back to August 23, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri. The FBI says Roper allegedly fired multiple shots at a car, striking two women. One of them died. The identities of the victims have not been released in the FBI's statement.
On September 10, 2020, less than three weeks after the shooting, the 16th Judicial Circuit in Jackson County, Missouri, charged Roper with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. A state arrest warrant was issued the same day.
Roper did not turn herself in. Instead, she fled Missouri. By July 1, 2021, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri issued a federal arrest warrant charging her with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Even with a federal warrant in hand, Roper remained at large for nearly five more years.
The FBI has a long track record of eventually running down its most wanted fugitives. In a separate recent case, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the capture of another high-profile fugitive, underscoring the bureau's continued focus on clearing its most dangerous open warrants.
Less than 24 hours on the list
On April 14, 2026, the FBI announced it had added Roper to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, a designation the bureau has maintained since March 1950. The announcement carried a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to her capture.
The effect was immediate. Tips poured in from Florida. FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley said the field office received information suggesting Roper might be in the area and began pursuing leads with help from the Gainesville Police Department. Meanwhile, Alachua County Sheriff Chad D. Scott said his agency's Warrants Investigators developed and shared critical intelligence that helped pinpoint Roper's location.
By the next morning, High Springs police officers spotted Roper during a traffic stop. She was taken into custody without a fight. Fox News reported that Roper, 50, was booked into the Alachua County jail, and that FBI Director Kash Patel credited the swift capture to public cooperation.
Patel told Fox News Digital:
"KaShawn Roper was on the run for nearly six years. Hours after we added her to the Ten Most Wanted list, tips poured in and our partners had her in custody."
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves framed the speed of the arrest in blunt terms:
"Today's capture of KaShawn Roper from Kansas City, Missouri, who was put on FBI's Ten Most Wanted list less than 24 hours ago, is a testament to the strength and connectivity of American law enforcement."
A broad coalition of agencies
The list of agencies involved in the apprehension reads like a roll call of federal, state, and local law enforcement. FBI Kansas City and FBI Jacksonville coordinated across state lines. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the FBI's KC Metro Violent Crime Task Force handled investigative work on the underlying case. In Florida, the High Springs Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Gainesville Police Department, and U.S. Marshals Service all played roles in tracking and arresting Roper.
High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard praised his officers' work:
"The High Springs Police Department commends the strong collaboration between local and federal law enforcement partners in this case. This outcome reflects the importance of coordinated efforts, shared intelligence, and mutual trust in protecting our communities. We are especially proud of the professionalism and vigilance demonstrated by our HSPD officers during a routine traffic stop."
FBI Jacksonville's Carley emphasized the urgency his team felt once they learned Roper might be nearby:
"From the moment we received information that Roper may be in our area, we surged into action, working in lockstep with our law enforcement partners to quickly track, locate, and apprehend her. This kind of seamless coordination is critical to ensuring dangerous individuals are taken off the streets. Given the serious and dangerous nature of her alleged crimes, her presence in the community posed an ongoing threat that we could not ignore."
The pursuit of dangerous fugitives across jurisdictions is not always this smooth. In a recent Florida case, a fugitive wanted on sexual assault warrants opened fire on a U.S. Marshals task force in Vero Beach, a stark reminder of the risks officers face in these operations.
The power of the list, and public cooperation
Acting FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Jeff Berkebile pointed to the broader significance of the Ten Most Wanted program, which has now been running for more than 75 years:
"After more than 75 years, the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list continues to prove its enduring value. By fostering a powerful partnership between the public and law enforcement, the list continues to play a vital role in identifying and apprehending dangerous fugitives. We would like to thank all our law enforcement partners here and in Florida. We also commend the members of the public who assisted in today's efforts, and we are deeply grateful for the community's support in this matter."
The numbers back him up. Since the list's creation in March 1950, 541 fugitives have appeared on it. Of those, 502 have been apprehended. In 164 of those cases, including Roper's, citizen cooperation played a direct role. Roper's arrest marks the 502nd apprehension from the list and the 164th credited to public tips.
The FBI's Most Wanted program has also produced results in other high-profile cases. A former FBI Most Wanted fugitive recently pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking after years on the run, another example of the list's long reach catching up with those who flee serious charges.
Six years of waiting for a grieving family
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson struck a personal note in her statement, acknowledging the toll the long wait has taken on the family of the woman killed in the 2020 shooting:
"Ms. Roper's arrest is a result of the power of partnership on all levels and the power of a public that refuses to accept violence as a reality. Speaking up can keep you and your family and community safe but also gives a grieving family hope that one day justice will be served."
Johnson also thanked the long list of agencies involved and noted the timeline bluntly: "Six years later, Ms. Roper will now face the full weight of accountability for her alleged actions in 2020."
The case is now being managed jointly by the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The FBI's statement included the standard legal reminder that the charges are accusations, not evidence of guilt, and that a trial jury will determine Roper's guilt or innocence.
Alachua County Sheriff Chad D. Scott offered a concise summary of what his agency's investigators accomplished:
"Through the skilled and relentless work of our Warrants Investigators, critical intelligence was developed and shared, leading to the capture of an alleged violent fugitive who is now behind bars."
The FBI has been active in tracking down fugitives wanted for violent crimes across the country. In another recent operation, agents arrested an alleged MS-13 member in Connecticut wanted for the murder of a Salvadoran pastor, showing the bureau's sustained focus on clearing violent open warrants.
Open questions remain
Several details remain unclear. The FBI has not disclosed what specific information led agents to believe Roper was in the High Springs area, nor has it said whether any portion of the $1 million reward will be paid to tipsters. The identities of the two women shot in the 2020 incident have not been publicly released. And the exact location within High Springs where the traffic stop occurred has not been specified.
What is clear is that the combination of a prominent public listing, a substantial reward, and fast-moving interagency coordination produced a result in hours that years of standard investigative work had not. The public saw a face and a name, picked up the phone, and law enforcement did the rest.
A woman is dead in Kansas City. A family has waited six years for the legal process to even begin. The arrest in High Springs is a start, but only a start. Accountability delayed this long is a reminder that justice moves too slowly when the system lacks the will or the tools to move faster.
