Ray, Courtesy of the Hazleton City Police Department
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HAZLETON — Homicide suspect Terence Leroy Ray was denied bail on a fugitive from justice warrant in Westchester County, N.Y., where he was captured early Thursday morning by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Pennsylvania State Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit.
Ray, 55, made a brief appearance before a judge in Westchester County Court and was booked without bail at the Westchester County Correctional Facility just after 7 p.m. Thursday.
Details of Ray’s apprehension have not been publicly released but Hazleton police say he was captured “without incident” just before 6 a.m. Thursday.
Hazleton police detectives and Luzerne County detectives obtained an arrest warrant on April 29 charging Ray with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence and abuse of corpse alleging he fatally assault and shot volunteer firefighter Jessica Lockwood, 39, at his home at 137 Muir Ave., Hazleton, on April 26.
Lockwood’s body was found when Hazleton City firefighters responded to Club 40 Road to what was believed was a mannequin on fire but turned out to be her body wrapped in a tarp at about 7 a.m. April 27.
Detectives believe Ray fled the area after he allegedly disposed and set fire of Lockwood’s body.
Court records say multiple cameras recorded Ray leaving his residence and driving on Club 40 Road minutes before the fire was reported by a passerby, and Ray moving Lockwood’s vehicle about a block away from his home.
District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce during a news conference earlier this week said Lockwood, who suffered from pain due to neck surgeries, was purchasing pain medications from “Og,” who was identified as Ray in court records.
Text messages recovered from Lockwood’s cellular phone, which was found discarded on state Route 424 on April 26, when she was reported missing by her family, indicate she was meeting Ray to purchase pain medications.
It was not immediately known if Ray is waiving extradition to return to Luzerne County to face the homicide warrant.