DEMING, N.M. (WTVB) — A years-long manhunt for a married couple from Steuben County, ended Thursday after both were found dead following a confrontation with federal authorities in southern New Mexico.
44-year-old Joseph McDowell, and 42 -year-old Cassondra Sauber was discovered with what appeared to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a residence in Deming New Mexico.
The discovery followed a high-stakes operation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the New Mexico State Police.
The couple had been fugitives since 2020, fleeing Indiana to avoid serious criminal charges. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, they were wanted on nationwide extradition warrants for multiple counts of:
– Child molestation
-Child exploitation
-Possession of child pornography
-Unlawful possession of a firearm
Authorities tracked the pair to a home in Deming, approximately 35 miles north of the Mexican border. On Thursday morning, U.S. Marshals attempted to execute the arrest warrants.
when the couple exchanged gunfire with police.
After the initial exchange of gunfire, a standoff ensued. When tactical teams eventually cleared the residence, they found both McDowell and Sauber deceased.
The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau has been requested to lead the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
While the couple’s deaths are being treated as suicides by self-inflicted wounds, officials are working to reconstruct the final moments of the standoff.
No law enforcement officers were reported injured during the operation
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