U.S. Marshals Arrest Convicted Murderer Wanted in Canada Since 1996

March 11, 2010 - Seattle, WA – Members of the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, along with special agents from HUD-Office of Inspector General, arrested Henry Arthur Kent earlier today in Seattle. Kent, a convicted murderer, was wanted out of Manitoba, Canada for violation of parole. Kent was released on parole in 1996 after serving just over 13 years of a life sentence for non-capital murder.

Kent’s murder conviction was the result of a robbery of a small store and the beating of the store’s 84-year-old proprietor. The victim died approximately six weeks later from injuries sustained during the robbery. Kent absconded from supervision in Canada in 1996. Information was recently obtained on Kent’s whereabouts in the Seattle area. Through the cooperation of Canadian and U.S. law enforcement, a warrant was issued yesterday by the U.S. District Court in Seattle for the arrest of Kent and his eventual extradition back to Manitoba, Canada.

“The arrest of Mr. Kent is a testament to the cooperation of law enforcement in our two countries. The United States Marshals Service has an outstanding relationship with Canadian law enforcement. This is another example of the success we can achieve by working together,” said Rick Ploof, Supervisory Deputy of the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force. The Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-sponsored partnership comprised of investigators from the King County Sheriffs Office, Seattle Police Department, Washington State Department of Corrections, the U.S. Social Security Administration-OIG, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Task Force concentrates apprehension efforts to remove federal, state and local fugitives from the streets. The Task Force objective is to disrupt illegal gang, gun and drug activity in the Pacific Northwest and to reduce the amount of violence in the region.