Parolee released from prison after serving 20 years on murder conviction arrested near New Harmony

Stock image | Photo by Moussa81/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Following the collaborative effort of a multi-agency team headed by the U.S. Marshals Service, a man who spent some 20 years in prison for second-degree murder was arrested Tuesday near New Harmony.

Thomas Dale McDonald, 57, is wanted on a fugitive warrant out of Nevada following his release from prison in 2018, date, location of photo not specified | Photo courtesy of the Nevada Department of Corrections, St. George News

An early morning operation by the U.S. Marshals Joint Criminal Apprehension Team culminated in the arrest of 57-year-old Thomas Dale McDonald, a parolee also known as “Nasty,” who was wanted on a parole violation after his release from prison in 2018.

Following his conviction in 1996, which was handed down in a Washoe County courtroom, McDonald spent more than 20 years incarcerated for second-degree murder, according to the fugitive complaint filed in 5th District Court on Wednesday. He then was released from High Desert State Prison, one of the largest prison complexes in the state of Nevada and located in Indian Springs.

The “warrant for retaking a paroled prisoner” was issued by the Division of Parole and Probation of Carson City, Nevada, last month. Once the warrant reached authorities in Washington County, the U.S. Marshals apprehension team was assembled and the Utah Department of Public Safety launched a helicopter to assist.

The team went out to a home in the New Harmony area early Tuesday morning, where they found McDonald. He was taken into custody without incident, authorities said.

McDonald is being held at Purgatory Correctional Facility on a Marshals Service hold while extradition arrangements are completed for the inmate’s return to Nevada. Until then, the defendant is being held without bail.

Any further details relating to the murder case could not be accessed.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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