Some think that they will escape the long arm of law and the consequences of the crimes they commit by fleeing to other countries. But time and again they are proven wrong, especially when the State Attorney's Office is involved.
The most recent case of an international fugitive finding himself back in our community to face the consequences for his actions was initially charged with murder two years ago.
On May 22, 2020, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements announced the in-custody return of charged murder suspect Matthew McGowan after his extradition from Thailand to Miami.
"I want to thank the government of Thailand, U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, United States Marshals Service, Interpol Central Bureau and F.B.I., for all of their assistance in helping bring Matthew McGowan back to Miami to stand trial," commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. "The amount of police work and legal complexity that goes into the international repatriation of a fugitive wanted for murder can be overwhelming but is deeply appreciated by all those victimized by crime. My Legal/Extradition Unit works tirelessly with our criminal justice partners to ensure that justice would not be confined by geographical boundaries."
The now 32-year-old McGowan was charged in the September 16, 2017 shooting of Jose Alberto Martinez Valenzuela in Miami Beach. Investigators believe that McGowan shot Valenzuela because of Valenzuela's relationship with McGowan's ex-girlfriend. Three days after the incident, and prior to Valenzuela's death, McGowan fled the United States.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office and the Miami Beach Police Department have been working with the Federal Government to locate McGowan since September 19, 2017. Once he was located, the United States Department of State facilitated McGowan's extradition from Thailand to Miami.
The SAO's commitment to victims and their families drives us to do everything we legally can to bring back those individuals who flee our jurisdiction and obtain justice for the victim.
