MARSHALL COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - Where is Rico Fleming? The fugitive has been on the run for 10 days. He's considered armed, desperate and dangerous. Deputies are now working to take the case statewide through the Tennesse Bureau of Investigation.
Fleming's wanted for the Christmas Day murder of a 16-year-old Memphis girl in a drive-by shooting in Mississippi.
The hope is more publicity and more money will lead to more awareness and help them bring in Fleming.
"We are talking to the TBI," says Investigator Kelly McMillen with the Marshall County Sheriff's Department. "They're fixing to put him on Tennessee's Most Wanted."
Marshall County deputies have searched and searched and searched.
"All over Memphis, Fayette County, Marshall County, some in Benton County," says McMillen. "Multiple counties, multiple places. We've talked to a lot of people."
They hope putting Fleming on Tennessee's Most Wanted will produce new leads.
"It will be widely spread through the media and broadcasted a whole lot more," says McMillen.
Fleming hasn't been easy to track. McMillen doesn't think he'll be easy to capture.
"What we don't want is anybody else getting hurt or killed," he tells abc24.com. "We believe that could be an alternative if it came down to it."
22-year-old Fleming has a history of running. He's wanted for criminal charges in Fayette County, Tennessee, in addition to the drive-by murder charges in Marshall County.
Deputies believe Fleming could still be carrying that murder weapon, making him armed and very dangerous.
They're offering what McMillen calls a substantial reward for information that leads to the fugitive's capture and conviction, though he won't say how much.
"I'm not at leniency to talk about how much it is," he says. "It will be a good reward."
Once Fleming's added to the TBI's Most Wanted list, the dollar amount could go up. McMillen's hoping their chances of finding him will go up right along with it.
"Just like anything else, the more you put it out there and the more money you put with it, the quicker you get a response back get some help," he says.
Deputies believe someone is helping Fleming hide. While he won't face any additional charges for being on the run, anyone harboring a fugitive could face hard time.
If have any information on Fleming's whereabouts, call the Marshall County Sheriff's Department at (662) 252-1311 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-729-2169.
