An Oklahoma man was recently arrested in Georgia after allegedly faking his own death during a kayaking trip in Louisiana. The 41-year-old Melvin Emde, hailing from Talihina, had been reported missing by his son on August 7th after supposedly drowning while kayaking on the Mississippi River. However, suspicions arose when it was discovered that Emde was facing charges of indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and was due to appear in court on the same day.
St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne expressed skepticism from the start, suspecting that Emde’s disappearance and death may have been an attempt to evade charges in North Carolina. However, law enforcement authorities were cautious not to reveal their suspicions so as not to tip off the fugitive. Their doubts were further reinforced when they discovered that Emde had been wearing an ankle monitor and had purchased two prepaid phones from a store in Louisiana on the day he was reported missing.
Collaborating with investigators in North Carolina and the U.S. Marshals Service, local deputies tracked the phone usage. It was discovered that Emde had intermittently used one of the phones, but their focus initially remained on Oklahoma until it became clear that the cellphones were no longer in use.
Then, in the early hours of Sunday, a Georgia State Highway Patrol officer attempted to stop a motorcyclist without a license plate. The driver attempted to flee but eventually crashed and was apprehended. Initially using a false name, the motorcyclist was later identified through fingerprinting as Melvin Emde.
Sheriff Champagne expressed his satisfaction with the arrest, noting that it was now time for Emde to face the charges awaiting him in North Carolina. The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with further information related to the case is encouraged to contact Detective Joshua Deroche of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The arrest serves as a reminder of the lengths some individuals may go to avoid facing the consequences of their actions. While law enforcement agencies work diligently to bring fugitives to justice, cases like this demonstrate the importance of collaboration and investigative efforts.
