In the quiet, rural landscape of Moundridge, Kansas, the life of 52-year-old Richard Prouty, a White male, was tragically cut short on Sunday, October 30, 2016. His body, along with those of 33-year-old Travis Street and 37-year-old Angela Graevs, was discovered outside a home in the area. All three victims had been shot.
The grim discovery was made after a passing motorist was flagged down by another driver and told there were two bodies outside the residence.
When sheriff's deputies arrived, they found the three deceased individuals. Inside the home, unharmed, was the 18-month-old child of Street and Graevs. The toddler was safely taken into the custody of relatives.
Investigators quickly determined the killings were not a random act of violence, believing the victims were specifically targeted in a dispute likely related to drugs. This suspicion was bolstered by court records indicating that Street and Graevs were facing multiple drug-related charges, including alleged distribution of methamphetamine and endangerment of a child.
The investigation soon focused on two suspects: 35-year-old Jereme Lee Nelson and 31-year-old Myrta Rangel. Arrest warrants were issued, charging both with capital murder and three counts of first-degree murder. However, by the time the warrants were active, Nelson and Rangel had already fled the state, with authorities believing they had traveled to Oklahoma. An alert was issued, describing them as armed and dangerous and providing a description of their vehicle. The manhunt for the two fugitives extended for months, eventually leading investigators south of the border. In January 2017, their flight from justice came to an end. Acting in cooperation with U.S. Marshals, Mexican authorities located and arrested Nelson and Rangel. They were taken into custody without incident and transported to San Diego to await extradition back to Kansas to face the charges against them.
