Murder suspect on the run for months found after falling through ceiling during home search

A murder suspect who has evaded authorities for several months was finally captured by U.S. Marshals after he fell through the ceiling from the attic space where he was hiding, authorities said.

Deario Wilkerson, 20, has been wanted since May 9 when an arrest warrant for first degree murder and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon was issued for him in regard to the April 2 shooting death of Troy Cunningham, who was found shot to death on the 1500 block of N. Merton Street in Memphis, Tennessee, according to a statement from the U.S. Marshals published on Monday.

The case was subsequently adopted for a fugitive investigation by the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis, authorities said.

“On August 26th, the TRVFTF tracked Wilkerson to a residence in the 1400 block of N. Merton in Memphis. Deputy marshals, with the assistance of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Memphis Police Department’s Fugitive Apprehension Teams, surrounded the home,” read the U.S. Marshals statement detailing the incident. “Wilkerson attempted to hide in the attic as the USMS searched the residence; however, he fell through the ceiling.”

The U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a “multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, and Tipton County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 2,600 violent fugitives and sexual predators.”

Wilkerson was not injured from the fall and was taken into custody without further incident.