MSC News

(KNZA)--A person of interest in a Brown County criminal case has been located.

26-year-old Phillip Doerr, of Horton, was taken into custody Friday night in Jackson County.

Doerr had been sought in connection with a suspected kidnapping that occurred Thursday night in Brown County.

Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County Sheriff's Office were jointly working to locate Doerr. Deputies in both counties believed he may be located near T.4 Road near the Shawnee County line in southeastern Jackson County.

Morse said a Jackson County Sheriff’s deputy located a vehicle near T.4 Road on 94th Road that appeared to have a flat tire. Deputies recognized the male passenger as Doerr.

Doerr allegedly provided a false name and was subsequently arrested by deputies. He was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and criminal possession of a firearm. Doerr was also wanted on a Topeka parole warrant.

The driver, 51-year-old Shelli Gibbs, of Topeka, was arrested by deputies for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and vehicle registration violations.

Both were booked into the Jackson County Jail.

Editor's note: Brown County Sheriff John Merchant issued the following statement following Doerr's arrest.

I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who assisted us in the apprehension of a recently wanted suspect in Jackson County over the weekend.

On Friday, I posted information about a person wanted for possible criminal charges in Brown County and by late Saturday, he was in custody. I received information from many sources and our deputies tracked down a number of leads. Our deputies were able to share this vital information with Jackson County and they were able to arrest Doerr without incident. Through community and law enforcement partnerships, we can achieve a great deal.

A criminal investigation by the Brown County Sheriffs office was launched on Thursday, based on an incident near Sabetha at All Star truck stop. The Sheriffs office will be forwarding charges to our County Attorney later in the week at the conclusion of our investigation. Doerr is being held in the Jackson County Jail on Drug and Firearm charges as well as a Topeka parole warrant.