Oregon man wanted in slaying of his mother and her boyfriend arrested in Virginia

Ore. man wanted for mom’s killing arrested in Va.

PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon man wanted in the slaying of his mother and her boyfriend was arrested Monday in Virginia after police got a tip from an acquaintance who read about the killings on the Internet.

Gabriel Morris, his wife, Jessica Morris, and their 4-year-old daughter, Kalea, were taken into custody in Dumfries, Va., according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

He is wanted in the Feb. 8 shooting deaths of Robin Anstey, 62, and Robert Kennelly Jr., 48, near the Oregon coastal town of Bandon. Two counts of aggravated murder have been filed against Gabriel Morris, while his wife has been sought as a material witness.

Coos County investigators were on their way to Virginia Monday afternoon to continue an investigation that has revealed a suspect who apparently used friends and strangers to elude capture.

Gabriel Morris and his family arrived in Virginia sometime last week, after being tracked to San Diego and spotted on a surveillance camera in Mesa, Ariz., investigators said. The family was staying at the home of an acquaintance they had met online, said Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier.

Gabriel Morris and his family were last seen in Coos County on Feb. 8, when he appeared on the doorstep of a Coquille schoolteacher seeking .40 caliber ammunition and a ride to San Diego, according to The World newspaper of Coos Bay. The teacher, Fred Eschler, was the father of Gabriel Morris’ former girlfriend.

Gabriel Morris said terrorists had killed his mother and her boyfriend, and that he shot and killed one of the terrorists and needed to leave town, according to court documents.

Eschler told police he gave Gabriel Morris a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun with three loaded magazines and his car, a Ford Taurus.

At the time, no one knew Anstey and Kennelly had been killed. Their bodies were discovered Feb. 10.

Investigators believed Gabriel Morris could have been be headed to Louisiana or Florida, where he had family. The television show “America’s Most Wanted” spotlighted the case Saturday night. The National Center for Missing and Endangered Children also had begun distributing a poster with information about 4-year-old Kalea.

The Morris’ flight ended in the town of Dumfries, Va. One of the adults at the home where the family was staying grew suspicious of Gabriel Morris and did an Internet search of his name Monday morning. The search popped up reports of the slayings, as well as a fugitive notice on the “America’s Most Wanted” Web page.

The person, who was not identified, then contacted police.

Prince William County officers, including a SWAT team, surrounded the house. Gabriel Morris was arrested as he drove away from the place. He was carrying a loaded .45 caliber handgun but offered no resistance, police said.

“He didn’t run, he cooperated,” said 1st Sgt. Kim Chinn, spokeswoman for the Prince William County Police.

Jessica Morris and her daughter were stopped in a separate vehicle and taken into custody.

The Ford Taurus was found at the house.

While detectives interviewed Gabriel and Jessica Morris, Kalea was “being entertained by police officers, eating snacks, being cute as a button,” Chinn said.

Officials expected to place the girl with family members.

The Morrises were facing bankruptcy when they moved to Coos County several months ago from Blackfoot, Idaho. Gabriel Morris had served as a Bingham County Sheriff’s patrol deputy from 2005 to 2007, then worked at a gym and as an insurance broker.

Frasier said Gabriel and Jessica Morris will be held in Virginia until they can be returned to Oregon within the next couple of weeks or months, depending on whether they fight extradition.

“Everyone here is relieved that we’ve got them in custody,” Frasier said. “And the biggest thing is nobody got hurt.”