A U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted fugitive investigation from 2020 is the subject of a new episode of the true crime podcast Chasing Evil available today.
The investigation into Jackson County fugitive Jacob Blair Scott became a national news story in 2018 after the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force adopted the case and upgraded the investigation to 15 Most Wanted status.
Scott, who fled days before he was supposed to plead guilty to 14 counts of child sex abuse in July 2018, was accused of sexually assaulting his 14-year-old stepdaughter, ultimately impregnating her.
A military veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Scott faked his death by launching a boat off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama, and disappeared. In January 2020, following a nationwide media blitz, including being profiled on In Pursuit with John Walsh, U.S. Marshals apprehended Scott at a mobile home park in Antlers, Oklahoma.
In June 2022, a jury found Scott guilty on all 14 counts and he was sentenced to 85 years in prison without the possibility of parole. In November 2022, Scott was also convicted for charges from the staged suicide scene out of the Southern District of Alabama by the US Attorney’s Office. He was ordered to serve 21 months custody and pay $17,165.11 restitution to the US Coast Guard.
Chasing Evil is now telling the story of the Scott fugitive investigation. Investigators from the U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the mother of the victim shared their stories with host and creator, Emmy award-winning film and television producer Christopher Godsick.
Other Chasing Evil episodes feature interviews with U.S. Marshals employees who were involved with other noteworthy cases, including the seizure and selling of fraudster Bernie Madoff’s assets, the New York trial of notorious drug lord El Chapo, the 48-day manhunt in the Poconos for fugitive cop killer Eric Frein, and the recovery of a missing teen. All are available at the Chasing Evil podcast website and on major streaming platforms.
In July 2006, the U.S. Marshals Service established the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, whose mission is to locate and apprehend fugitives, with priority given to fugitives wanted for violent crime. Full-time members of the GCRFTF include the U.S. Marshals Service, The U.S. Border Patrol, Mississippi Department of Corrections, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, Biloxi Police Department, Columbia Police Department and the Hattiesburg Police Department.
