A fugitive wanted in connection with a man's 2017 murder in Miami Beach was extradited to South Florida after he was captured in Thailand, authorities said.
Matthew McGowan, 32, was wanted in the Sept. 16, 2017 fatal shooting of Jose Alberto Martinez Valenzuela.
In a news release Friday, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said McGowan was in custody in South Florida.
“I want to thank the government of Thailand, U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, United States Marshals Service, Interpol Central Bureau and F.B.I., for all of their assistance in helping bring Matthew McGowan back to Miami to stand trial," Fernandez Rundle said in a statement.
Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from issues relating to Valenzuela’s relationship with McGowan's girlfriend/ex-girlfriend. Three days after the shooting, and prior to Valenzuela’s death, McGowan fled the United States, authorities said.
Since September 19, 2017, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Miami Beach Police Department have been working with the federal government to locate McGowan, officials said.
Miami-Dade jail records showed McGowan was being held without bond Friday on a first-degree murder charge. Attorney information wasn't available.
