Texas Fugitive Accused of Child Sex Crimes Captured Camping in Oregon Woods After Week-Long Manhunt

A Week on the Run in the Oregon Wilderness

A fugitive wanted on a felony warrant for child sex crimes out of Texas was caught camping in a heavily wooded area near Lucas Lodge in Agness, Oregon on June 23. The arrest ended a tense, week-long manhunt that had drawn a massive law enforcement response to one of the most remote corners of the Pacific Northwest — and left a small rural community on edge for days.

Around 12:35 p.m. on June 23, two Curry County deputies, an Oregon State Police trooper, and six U.S. Marshals located Kenneth Leatherwood camping in a heavily wooded area near Lucas Lodge in Agness, Oregon. After a week-long search, Leatherwood was taken into custody without incident. The peaceful end to the manhunt was a relief, given that authorities had repeatedly warned the public that Leatherwood was believed to be armed and possibly dangerous.

How It All Started: A Cabin, a Barricade, and a Getaway

The situation began on June 16, when officials discovered that Leatherwood was staying at the lodge. Lodge managers posted on Facebook that approximately 60 law enforcement officers arrived that evening after a guest with Texas license plates apparently barricaded himself inside a cabin. They said he arrived on June 15 without a cell phone. The sheer number of officers descending on the remote lodge alarmed both guests and the tight-knit local community.

By that Tuesday morning, Leatherwood reportedly said he was unable to start his truck because the vehicle's OnStar system had locked it. Law enforcement arrived a short time later. They heard his dog barking inside a cabin, where they assumed Leatherwood was as well. When they entered the cabin, only the dog was present. Leatherwood had slipped away into the dense Oregon wilderness — setting the stage for a days-long pursuit through rugged, heavily forested terrain.

The Charges and the Suspect

Kenneth Leatherwood was wanted for sex-related crimes involving a minor, as well as a stolen vehicle and reported stolen weapons. Authorities emphasized that Leatherwood was not on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list and was not wanted for murder charges — clarifications that became necessary as social media speculation ran rampant during the search. Leatherwood is described as a man in his late 30s, 5'10" and 200 pounds with brown hair and green eyes, and was last seen wearing an ivory t-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots, possibly accompanied by an Australian shepherd mix dog.

Leatherwood, who was wanted out of Texas on a felony warrant for child sex crimes, fled from law enforcement on June 16 after it was learned that he and the stolen vehicle he was operating were in the Agness area. The fact that he arrived at the remote lodge without a cellphone suggested he may have been deliberately trying to go off the grid and evade detection from the start.

A Multi-Agency Effort and a Community's Patience

The Curry County Sheriff's Office credited the operation's success to broad cooperation, thanking the Oregon State Police, their SWAT team, and the U.S. Marshals — and also expressing gratitude to "the Agness community and beyond for their diligence, cooperation and patience." Leatherwood's dog was found in good shape and will be returned to his family.

The case is a stark reminder of how far fugitives can travel to evade justice — and how modern technology, from OnStar vehicle tracking to coordinated multi-agency task forces, can work against them. With Leatherwood now in custody, the focus shifts to extradition back to Texas, where he faces serious felony charges. The outcome will be closely watched by those who track how states pursue and prosecute child sex crime cases across state lines.