SUSPECT IN 15-YEAR-OLD HALEY REEDY’S MURDER CAPTURED IN EUROPE AFTER THREE YEARS ON THE RUN

AFTER THREE YEARS, A SUSPECT IN THE DEATH OF 15-YEAR-OLD HALEY REEDY HAS FINALLY BEEN CAPTURED — MORE THAN 5,000 MILES FROM WHERE THE TEENAGER LOST HER LIFE

A man accused in connection with the 2022 killing of a Tennessee teenager has been arrested in Europe after spending roughly three years on the run, authorities say.

Seth Walls, 23, was arrested in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Sept. 12, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. He is accused in the death of 15-year-old Haley Reedy, who was fatally shot in Millington, Tenn., on Sept. 11, 2022.

Walls had been wanted in the United States since fleeing the country after posting a $10,000 bond and failing to appear for a scheduled court hearing.

He was originally arrested and charged with second-degree murder and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon in connection with Reedy’s death.

THREE YEARS — AND A NEW IDENTITY

According to authorities, Walls had been living under an assumed name in Slovenia and reportedly claimed to be from Canada when he was arrested.

His true identity was eventually confirmed through fingerprints supplied by Interpol, which had become involved after the U.S. Marshals Service sought international assistance in locating him.

The arrest reportedly came after a resident in Ljubljana recognized Walls as someone who frequented a local bar.

After reading about Reedy’s death, the resident believed Walls might be the wanted suspect and alerted security at the establishment. Local authorities were then contacted, leading to Walls’ arrest.

 WHAT HAPPENED TO HALEY REEDY?

Reedy was just 15 years old when she died in September 2022.

At the time, Walls, then 18, reportedly told authorities that Reedy had fired the gun and that he was not in the room when the fatal incident occurred.

However, investigators later determined that Reedy’s wound was located behind her right ear.

The Shelby County Medical Examiner determined that the injury was not consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot and classified her death as a homicide, according to reporting cited by PEOPLE.

Walls subsequently left the United States, beginning a years-long international search.

 ‘WE ONLY WANT JUSTICE FOR HALEY’

News of Walls’ capture brought a mixture of shock and relief to Reedy’s mother, Brandee Jones.

Jones told The Tennessean that she was “very shocked and relieved” by the arrest.

She also expressed frustration over the years that had passed without Walls being brought back before the court.

For Reedy’s family, the arrest represents a major development in a case that has remained unresolved for years.

“We only want justice for Haley,” Jones said, according to The Tennessean.

 NOW, EXTRADITION IS NEXT

Walls remains in custody in Slovenia while U.S. authorities work with Slovenian officials on his extradition.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office are coordinating the effort to return him to Tennessee, where he faces the outstanding charges.

Authorities credited local, state, federal and international agencies — including the U.S. Marshals Service and Interpol — for helping locate the fugitive.

After three years and thousands of miles, the international search for the man accused in Haley Reedy’s case has finally reached a turning point.

For her family, however, the arrest is only one step in a journey that began with the loss of a 15-year-old girl and years of waiting for answers.