A former U.S. Army soldier convicted of rape, desertion and indecent assualt was arrested in Spain nearly 30 years after fleeing his unit in Germany, ending one of the longest-running manhunts in U.S. Marshals history, the agency announced last week.
Jesse Bussey, who had been on the run since 1996, was arrested Nov. 10, 2025, in Málaga, Spain, where authorities said he was teaching English and living under an alias. He has been extradited to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he begins his 16-year military prison sentence.
Bussey was convicted in absentia for rape, desertion and two counts of indecent assault. In addition to the imprisonment, he also received a reduction in grade to E-1 and dishonorable discharge.
The investigation was first reported on by Task & Purpose.
The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division previously posted a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
He was last seen fueling his vehicle at a gas station on an Army base in Schweinfurt, Germany, before disappearing. Using a different identity, the Marshals said he joined the French Foreign Legion in late 1996 and served until early 2000.
When he left the French Foreign Legion, Bussey was homeless in France and took on the identity of a Nigerian citizen 18 years younger.
Authorities believed Bussey never returned to the U.S. and said they focused the investigation in Europe and Africa before receiving a tip from someone who responded to a social media request for assistance.
The Marshals credited Bussey’s apprehension and extradition to teamwork between the Army, INTERPOL, the Spanish National Police Force, the Dover, Delaware, Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Ministry of Justice of Spain and the public.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
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