U.S. Marshals Find Philadelphia Murder Suspect Hiding in Cubby Hole

Norfolk, VA - U.S. Marshals and Norfolk police have again brought a safe conclusion to a tense standoff. Philadelphia native Karl Howard, 29, was arrested at a house in Norfolk this afternoon after he tried fleeing through a back door, hiding, and then lying to avoid arrest.

Howard was wanted in connection to a Philadelphia murder that occurred in September of last year. An arrest warrant for murder and related charges was issued on September 23, 2016. Just last week, U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia contacted the Marshals in Norfolk with information that Howard was hiding out in Hampton Roads.

Around 1:30 this afternoon, U.S. Marshals and the Norfolk Fugitive Unit went to an address on the 200 block of Maycox Avenue where Howard was believed to be residing. After Marshals knocked and ordered Howard to come to the front door, a rear door to the residence opened. Howard then appeared in the doorway and saw multiple officers pre-positioned around the back door. Howard then quickly slammed the door shut. Multiple other occupants of the house were evacuated, and Howard refused to depart the residence.

A Norfolk canine unit then accompanied Marshals and Norfolk detectives as they worked to locate Howard inside of the house. Within minutes, Howard was found curled up in a cubby hole immediately above a closet in a rear bedroom. Howard then provided a fake name to investigators.

Howard will be held at the Norfolk City Jail while awaiting return to Philadelphia.

The U.S. Marshals-led Fugitive Task Force consists of law enforcement officers from the U.S. Marshals, Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office, Newport News Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department and Norfolk Police Department. The main objective of the task force is to seek out and arrest violent offenders with outstanding federal and state warrants.

The U.S. Marshals Service, America’s first federal law enforcement agency, arrested more than 33,300 federal fugitives, 66,300 state and local fugitives and 11,700 sex offenders in 2015. Our investigative network and capabilities allow for the unique ability to track and apprehend any fugitive who attempts to evade police capture, anywhere in the country.