Fugitive Accused of Child Sex Crimes Caught Camping in Oregon Wilderness After Week-Long Chase

A Week-Long Manhunt Ends in the Woods

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 capped a dramatic, multi-state chase that unfolded across Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon — and ended with officers closing in on a man who had traded a stolen truck for a tent deep in the wilderness.

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.

From a Texas Courtroom to Three States on the Run

A Texas fugitive wanted on child sexual assault charges was captured in a remote area of Oregon after a multi-state manhunt, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Kenneth Wayne Leatherwood, 41, of Georgetown, was arrested after police found him at a secluded campsite in a heavily wooded area of Curry County, Oregon. Leatherwood was wanted in Bastrop County for failure to appear on an indictment for continuous sexual assault of two children. The indictment was filed in December 2025 in the 21st Judicial District Court.

On June 15, the Bastrop County District Attorney's Office requested assistance from the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force to locate and apprehend Leatherwood, who had failed to appear for his trial. The team based in Austin initiated a fugitive investigation, requesting help from the District of New Mexico, Roswell Division, after learning Leatherwood was employed in New Mexico. Investigators also discovered a critical detail that shaped the entire pursuit: authorities learned he had law enforcement training as a former correctional officer.

Officials said he then stole his employer's truck and fled to Oregon. The vehicle was recovered June 16 near a lodge in Agness, Oregon, where authorities said Leatherwood had been staying before fleeing on foot into the surrounding wilderness.

A Tense Standoff at the Lodge — Then He Vanished

Lodge managers posted on Facebook that approximately 60 law enforcement officers arrived on the evening of June 16 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 deliberate decision to travel without a phone suggested Leatherwood was working hard to stay off the grid from the very start.

By the morning of June 17, he 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. He had slipped into the dense Oregon wilderness on foot, triggering a week-long search involving multiple agencies and a SWAT team.

Extradition Ahead as Agencies Credit Community Support

Leatherwood was wanted for sex crimes with a minor, as well as a stolen vehicle and reportedly stolen weapons. He was booked into a local jail in Oregon and is expected to be extradited back to Texas to face charges. His dog was found in good shape and will be returned to Leatherwood's family.

The Curry County Sheriff's Office thanked all participating law enforcement agencies, including the Oregon State Police, their SWAT team, and the U.S. Marshals, and also expressed gratitude to "the Agness community and beyond for their diligence, cooperation and patience." The case is a reminder that even suspects with law enforcement backgrounds and wilderness survival instincts are no match for coordinated, cross-jurisdictional pursuit — and that modern vehicle tracking technology, like the OnStar system that locked Leatherwood's stolen truck, can prove just as decisive as boots on the ground.