On the afternoon of December 1, 2020, tragedy struck in Rock Island, Iowa, when 27-year-old Iuel Nduwayezu, a male resident of the city, was fatally shot. The incident occurred at approximately 1:31 p.m. in the 2400 block of 7th Avenue, outside of a local business. When officers from the Rock Island Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered Nduwayezu with a gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of Iuel Nduwayezu swiftly pointed to a primary suspect. Less than a week after the shooting, on December 7, 2020, detectives with the Rock Island Police Department secured a first-degree murder arrest warrant for Thadeus Sincere Gray. At the time the warrant was issued, authorities also believed that Gray was in the company of a 17-year-old endangered runaway, Midanney Shandi Mae Bernauer. It was indicated that she was with him voluntarily.
A manhunt for Thadeus Sincere Gray concluded on December 10, 2020, when he was located and apprehended in Phoenix, Arizona. A Federal Fugitive Task Force, led by U.S. Marshals, tracked the 19-year-old suspect to a motel in Phoenix and took him into custody. The runaway teenager, Midanney Shandi Mae Bernauer, was found with him and was reported to be safe. Following his capture, Gray was held in Arizona, awaiting extradition back to Illinois to face the first-degree murder charge for his alleged role in the death of Iuel Nduwayezu.
