Multi-State Investigation Leads Delco Police To Issue Warrant For Suspect In 2015 Murder
YEADON, Pa. (CBS) -- A multistate dragnet is out for the man authorities say killed Thomas Childs a year ago in the Yeadon industrial park where he worked. A warrant has been issued for the suspect's arrest.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan made the announcement Monday afternoon that 37-year-old Rodney Talbo Shelton is wanted for the murder, last June, of 63-year-old Thomas Childs.
"Rodney has ties to the Philadelphia area, but he also has a residence in North Carolina," Whelan said.
How Shelton was identified as the suspect involved a multistate, multi-agency investigation, starting with the discovery of a shell casing, leading to Childs' cell phone and the murder weapon in a cemetery near the murder scene. That led to North Carolina and one of Shelton's girlfriends.
"He admitted to her killing Thomas Childs, but she also saw the weapon that was used in the killing, and put it in his hands," Whelan said.
Whelan says the freckled Shelton is hard to miss, with an elaborate spiderweb tattoo on the top of his skull. There is a reward on his head, too totaling $20,000.
"He's very identifiable, and when you couple that with a significant reward, I think his own family that he has some adverse relationships with, may turn him in if they see him, " Whelan explained.
Anyone with information about Rodney Talbo Shelton is asked to call the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
