Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A man who made the U.S. Marshals Service's most-wanted list after being charged with killing his parents and setting their New Hampshire house on fire last year was captured Wednesday at a Florida hotel where he was living and working, authorities said.
Investigators had sought 39-year-old Matthew Dion since March 2014, when the bodies of his parents — Robert, 71, and Constance, 67 — were found at their Manchester home. Authorities ruled that the fire was arson and the deaths were homicides.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Jeffrey White said Dion was captured just after 10 a.m. Wednesday at a hotel in Orange Park, Florida, which is about 15 miles south of Jacksonville. White said Dion, who was doing construction work and painting at the hotel, initially gave police a different name when he was apprehended, then told officers, "You got me."
The arrest came after a recent media campaign in Georgia and Florida that generated tips, including a significant one Tuesday night that led authorities to the hotel. "He was hiding in plain sight," Manchester Assistant Police Chief Nick Willard said.
Dion's name was added to the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted List in April. He was considered armed and dangerous, though White said he was not armed at the time of his arrest.
Death certificates filed in Hillsborough County Probate Court show that the Dions were strangled with a wire on March 19, 2014. The medical examiner's report said they died within minutes and listed their deaths as homicides. Investigators concluded the March 24 fire at their home was intentional.
Dion was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and arson in September. He also is charged with three counts of possession of child pornography. Investigators sifting through the charred home found evidence linking Dion to the material, authorities said.
The search for Dion had focused in and around Florida. Investigators said he has extensive background and familiarity with the southeastern region of the country. Manchester detective Sgt. Joe Mucci, a lead investigator in the deaths of the Dions, said in the past that Matthew Dion was capable of living under the radar.
"He's a very tech savvy, computer person," Mucci said. "He's very intelligent. He could do whatever he sets his mind to at this point."
Mucci said Wednesday that he is packing to head to Florida to question and bring Dion back. He said he did not know whether Dion had waived extradition.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
