Florida Murder Suspect Captured Near Wheatland
A man wanted for a double-homicide in Florida is in custody in Wyoming following his arrest Thursday night along Interstate 25 just south of Wheatland. A woman traveling with him is also behind bars.
A Wyoming Highway Trooper noticed a stranded motorist in a pickup truck with Florida tags three miles south of Wheatland and offered assistance to the couple in the truck. The driver, 24-year-old Steven Tompkins, told the trooper they had run out of gas and were waiting for someone to bring them fuel.
During the conversation, the Trooper began to suspect they were a couple wanted by authorities in Florida, as the Patrol had been issued photos of the wanted couple earlier in the day.
Dispatchers confirmed that the pickup was stolen, and Tompkins was wanted, accused of killing his 55-year-old mother and his 22-year-old brother in Florida. Tompkins and his passenger, 19-year-old Joycelin Luck were taken into custody without incident.
Tompkins is being held for extradition to Florida on two counts of second-degree murder. He also faces charges in Wyoming for possession of stolen property.
Luck, who was reported as a missing person from South Carolina, is charged with being an accessory to possession of stolen property. It’s not known what, if any, charges she faces in the State of Florida.