On March 2, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Probation and Parole Office notified Iredell County Detective Sanford that 32-year-old Katherine Rose Stewart was not in compliance with her sex offender registration requirements. During the investigation, detectives determined that Stewart had fled the state in an effort to evade prosecution.
It was also discovered that when Stewart, along with Michael Mario Buckner, age 33, and 57-year-old Robert Wilson Miller, left the residence on Brawley Road, they abandoned an animal inside the home. Iredell County Animal Services responded and took possession of the animal to ensure its safety and well-being.
Stewart fled the state with Buckner and Miller, traveling toward the Canadian border in an attempt to avoid prosecution. The investigation led by Detective Sanford ultimately resulted in Stewart, Buckner, and Miller being located and apprehended on May 1, in Valley County, Montana, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
A 3-year-old child found with the group was safely taken into protective custody and is currently under the care of the Montana Department of Social Services pending return to North Carolina.
Following extradition to North Carolina on June 9, Stewart was issued a $550,000 secured bond. Buckner received a $125,000 secured bond, while Miller was issued a $500,000 secured bond.
Iredell County Sheriff’s Office