A Moss Point man, who was added to the U.S. Marshal’s ’15 Most Wanted Fugitive’ list on Wednesday, is now in custody after faking his own death to avoid charges related to the sexual abuse of his 14-year-old stepdaughter.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that 43-year-old Jacob Scott Blair was arrested in Oklahoma Wednesday night. While he could face additional charges, he was initially arrested in 2018 on a 14-count indictment charging him with sexual battery, touching a child for lustful purposes, and exploitation of a child.
Scott was arrested after authorities received a tip that he was living in a camper in the Antlers, Oklahoma area.
In July 2018, Scott was out on bond when he failed to show up for a scheduled court hearing. Authorities then found Scott’s boat abandoned off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama. On the boat, they found a gun and a suicide note but little forensic evidence to suggest a suicide.
A week-long search of the Gulf of Mexico was conducted for Scott’s body, but his remains were never found. Officials also determined that Scott withdrew $45,000 before his disappearance.
Scott is a military veteran who received a Purple Heart in 2011for injuries he sustained while deployed in Iraq. The U.S. Marshals stated that his military background and survival skills may have enabled him to live off the grid.
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