A woman once plastered across the FBI’s infamous Most Wanted list is finally behind bars — and the dramatic takedown happened in broad daylight on a quiet Florida street.
KaShawn Nicola Roper, 50, of Kansas City, was captured during a routine traffic stop in High Springs, Florida, nearly six years after a deadly shooting that left a young mother dead and another woman wounded. Authorities say the arrest went down just before 10:30 a.m. on April 15, bringing a shocking end to a years-long manhunt.
Roper had recently been added to the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list — one of only two women on it — with a staggering $1 million reward hanging over her head. That massive bounty and a flood of tips ultimately led investigators straight to northern Florida, about 20 miles outside Gainesville.
According to officials, Roper is accused of opening fire on a car during a violent altercation in Kansas City back on August 23, 2020. The gunfire struck two women, killing 23-year-old Jazmyn Henrion, a mother of three, and injuring another victim.
Despite being charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon in September 2020, Roper vanished — triggering a federal warrant the following year for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
For years, she managed to stay off the radar — until now.
Police say the arrest was swift and without incident, with officers pulling Roper over and taking her into custody on the spot. She is currently being held in Alachua County as an out-of-state fugitive, without bond, while she awaits extradition back to Missouri.
Law enforcement officials are already touting the arrest as a major win.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves called it “a testament to the strength and connectivity of American law enforcement,” while FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley revealed that agents moved fast the moment they got a credible tip.
“Given the serious and dangerous nature of her alleged crimes, her presence in the community posed an ongoing threat that we could not ignore,” Carley said.
The capture came just one day after the FBI publicly renewed its plea for help in finding Roper — a last-minute push that appears to have paid off in a big way.
Now, after years on the run, one of America’s most wanted fugitives is finally facing justice.
