On June 5, 2023, authorities in Polk County, Missouri, launched a homicide investigation following the violent death of 63-year-old Phillip 'David' Thompson. The male victim, known to friends simply as Dave, was discovered deceased in Bolivar, prompting an immediate inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his passing. Investigators quickly determined that the incident was a murder and that a vehicle belonging to Thompson was missing from the scene, leading law enforcement to classify the case as a homicide and issue an alert for a suspect believed to be fleeing the jurisdiction.
The investigation rapidly expanded beyond state lines when information was relayed to law enforcement agencies in Louisiana. Detectives determined that the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Shane Ellzey, had taken Thompson’s white 2001 Ford F-150 pickup truck and was traveling south. The Missouri State Highway Patrol communicated with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, warning them that the fugitive was considered armed and dangerous and was likely entering their area.
In the early hours of the following day, deputies in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, spotted the stolen vehicle entering the area via Arabi. A traffic stop was executed on St. Claude Avenue, where Ellzey was taken into custody without further incident. Inside the vehicle, which was confirmed to belong to Thompson, officers secured the suspect who was wanted on a fugitive warrant from Polk County.
Shane Ellzey was subsequently booked into the St. Bernard Parish Prison. He faced charges of second-degree murder in connection with Thompson's death in Missouri, as well as additional charges in Louisiana for the illegal possession of stolen things. At the time of his capture, he was held without bond pending extradition proceedings to return him to Missouri to face the murder charge, bringing a swift initial resolution to the manhunt that had spanned two states.
