FBI, Marshals offer $60,000 for suspect in Virginia deputy killing
Federal agencies raised the bounty to $60,000 as the search widened for Michael Timothy Puckett, accused in the killing of Carroll County Deputy Logan Utt.
The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service pushed the reward for Michael Timothy Puckett to $60,000 as the manhunt widened across the Virginia-North Carolina border after a Carroll County deputy was killed and another was shot during a welfare check. The larger reward is aimed at drawing in fresh tips quickly, while investigators use every available lead to track a suspect authorities say should be treated as armed and extremely dangerous.
The FBI’s Richmond field office said it was offering $50,000 on top of the $10,000 reward announced Saturday by the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to Puckett’s location and arrest. Carroll County Sheriff Kevin A. Kemp warned anyone who sees Puckett, or knows where he is, not to approach him and to call 911 immediately. Authorities identified him as 55-year-old Michael Timothy Puckett.
The shooting happened around 9:26 p.m. local time Friday, May 29, 2026, when two deputies went to a home to conduct a welfare check and came into contact with Puckett, according to authorities. Puckett allegedly opened fire, the deputies returned fire, and Puckett fled the scene. The motive remained under investigation.
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office identified the deputy killed as Logan Utt, a military veteran who had been with the agency since 2023. The death sent investigators into a fast-moving fugitive search that stretched beyond Carroll County and into nearby North Carolina, where authorities said Puckett was spotted on a wildlife game camera in Surry County at about 6:56 a.m. ET Sunday. The sighting pushed the search north of Mount Airy and deepened the focus on roads, wooded areas, and rural property along the state line.
By Sunday, law enforcement agencies were still working the scene and following leads across southern Virginia and nearby North Carolina. The reward, the border-area camera hit, and the warning from Kemp made clear that the search had entered a critical phase: a dangerous fugitive remained at large, and deputies, federal agents, and local officers were still trying to bring the case to a close.
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