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DEKALB COUNTY, GA— The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced the capture of its most wanted fugitive, Brian Tripp, who was taken into custody in Pritchard, Alabama, with assistance from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
Tripp fled in January 2024, in the middle of his DeKalb County trial after being released on bond. The trial continued without him, and a jury later found him guilty of kidnapping, street gang charges, and other offenses. He was sentenced to life plus 65 years in prison.
While on the run, Tripp faced additional serious charges. In April 2025, a DeKalb County Grand Jury indicted him for allegedly helping conceal the death of Anthony Woodland. Deputies said Tripp placed Woodland’s body in a suitcase and set it on fire in a wooded area earlier that year.
The Sheriff’s Office credited coordination with law enforcement partners for bringing the case to a close.
“Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, we were able
to locate and arrest someone who went to great lengths to avoid accountability,” said DeKalb County Sheriff Melody M. Maddox. “This case shows we don’t give up. No matter how long it takes or where someone goes, we will keep working to bring them back to face justice.”
In a separate fugitive operation on today, March 23, the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Task Force, Clayton County Police Department, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit arrested PrestonBanks, 48, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Banks was wanted by the Waukegan Police Department in Waukegan, Illinois, in connection with a 2018 homicide.
Banks was taken into custody at a residence on To Lani Court. During a search of the location, deputies recovered a large quantity of narcotics and three firearms. Banks faces additional charges in DeKalb County and will be extradited to Illinois.