A Defendant who left court and fled during the middle of his trial earlier this week has been taken into custody. On January 26, 2023, law enforcement in Perry County, Pennsylvania arrested Joel Richard Kent, 33, without incident. Mr. Kent had failed to appear for the second day of a jury trial held this week concerning Mr. Kent’s involvement in a 2021 shooting in Wormleysburg Borough, Cumberland County, PA. Despite Mr. Kent’s failure to appear, a Cumberland County jury still returned a guilty verdict on one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, one count of Discharge of a Firearm into an Occupied Structure, and one count of Carrying a Firearm Without a License (For more information about the shooting and the trial, please see our previous post on this case: https://cumberland.crimewatchpa.com/da/5591/post/jury-convicts-man-21-shooting-defendant-run-flees-trial).

District Attorney Seán M. McCormack hailed Mr. Kent’s apprehension. “I’d like to thank the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, West Shore Regional Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police for their efforts in quickly and safely bringing Mr. Kent into custody. Our office will leave no stone unturned locating and apprehending any individuals who abscond from trial, and we will continue to be vigilant in locating and prosecuting those who commit violent crimes in Cumberland County”.

Mr. Kent has been denied bail and has been remanded to Cumberland County Prison pending scheduling, which is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, 2023 before Judge Guido.

Anyone with tips or information about the whereabouts of any other Cumberland County fugitive should contact the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office at (717) 240-7322 during normal business hours or (717) 243-4121 after business hours.