Daniel James Walter aka Edward Patrick Davies was arrested and booked in Curry County Jail.Photo:Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office/ Facebook
Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office/ Facebook
A suspect has been taken into custody for themurder of Del Norte County Sheriff Deputy Deanna Esmaeel, the mother ofSandlotactor Marty York.
Esmaeel was was found dead in her home on Thursday morning, shortly after which the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office announced in apost on Facebookthat it was searching for her boyfriend, Daniel James Walter. The department has now announced that the suspect has been arrested in the state of Oregon.
The arrest comes after the department shared a wanted poster and images of the 54-year-old suspect, also known as Edward Patrick Davies, to social media.
While Walter, who legally changed his name in July 2023 to Davies, was last spotted in Crescent City, California, before his arrest, he was eventually taken into custody in Curry County — which is approximately 70 miles away from the site of the murder and an under 2-hour trip via car.
The suspect is listed on the Curry County Jail’sonline rosteras Edward Patrick Davies, with an “unknown” release date. His offense is listed as “FUGITIVE FROM OTHER STATE.”
On Friday, before Walter was taken into custody, York shared, “the hardest post I’ll ever have to write” to his Instagram page, encouraging followers to contact authorities if they spotted the suspect.
“The emotions I have are horrible right now between rage, vengeance, crying. There is a nationwide manhunt underway, please if you’ve seen this man contact the authorities immediately!”
“I just want my mom back 😭😭😭,” he added in the comment section.
In 2021, Esmaeel was sworn in as a deputy with the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office, and the office documentedthe ceremonyon its Facebook page at the time, alongside an image of her swearing in. “In 2016, she saw a recruitment flyer featuring a female law enforcement officer and decided it was time for her to make her lifelong goal a reality,” the post noted of Esmaeel, who previouslyworked in the film industry.
“She believes that the culmination of her life experiences has prepared her to serve well as a Deputy,” it added. “She said, ‘It’s time for me to take everything I have learned in my life and help other people.'”
On Friday, Sheriff Scott shared via the department’s Facebook post that the department is “deeply heartbroken with the loss of Deputy Esmaeel.”
“Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and co-workers,” he added.
source: people.com
