Kaley L. Lund, a 32-year-old fugitive from Colorado, was arrested in Corpus Christi, Texas, on June 19 and returned to the Virgin Islands to face sentencing for involuntary manslaughter and a new charge of failing to appear in court, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice has announced.
Lund was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and local Texas authorities after an intensive investigation led by the VIDOJ.
Lund appeared before Judge Yolan Brow-Ross in Superior Court on St. Croix the following day for her Advice of Rights hearing and was formally arraigned on the new charge of failure to appear in a criminal proceeding. She must post $5,500 bail, secure an approved address on St. Croix, and designate a third-party custodian to be released pending sentencing.
Her return follows a months-long search sparked by her failure to appear for sentencing in a fatal vehicular homicide case. In 2020, Lund pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after driving under the influence and crashing her Jeep head-on into another vehicle, resulting in the death of 25-year-old Marvin Barton and injuries to another passenger.
At the time of the crash, Lund was 27 and faced multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving without a license. She posted $5,000 cash bail and was allowed to reside in Florida while awaiting trial. Rather than face a jury, she entered a guilty plea via Zoom on March 7, 2024. Her sentencing, initially scheduled for May 31, was rescheduled to June 28. However, when both her attorney and the Office of Probation lost contact with her, Judge Jomo Meade issued a bench warrant for her arrest on July 1, 2024, and requested her entry into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.
On June 6, DOJ Assistant Director of Special Investigations Gisselle M. Quinones received a credible tip and shared the information with the U.S. Marshals Service. Lund was located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and apprehended with the help of local police. During the operation, her now-husband and designated third-party custodian, David Keith Hightower, was also arrested and charged with hindering apprehension.
Following her arrest, Lund was transferred to the custody of the VIDOJ and flown to St. Croix on June 19. She appeared in court the next day.
Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea praised the cooperation between Virgin Islands and federal law enforcement. “This arrest highlights the commitment of both the Virgin Islands Department of Justice and our federal partners to ensuring that fugitives are held accountable, regardless of how far they try to escape,” said Rhea. He recognized DOJ Assistant Director Gisselle Quinones, Director Jerry Inniss, and the Special Investigations Division teams on both St. Thomas and St. Croix for their “tireless work and collaboration” with the U.S. Marshals and local agencies. He also extended thanks to Acting Deputy Attorney General Patricia Lynn Pryor and Criminal Division Chief Amie M. Simpson for their contributions to the operation.
Lund now remains in the custody of local authorities as she awaits sentencing on the involuntary manslaughter conviction, along with proceedings on the new failure-to-appear charge.
