ACCUSED MURDERER CYRIL LAMONT BYRD APPREHENDED AT PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Acting Special Agent in Charge (A/SAC) J. Mark Batts, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division, SAC John E. Lewis, FBI Phoenix Division, Chief Thomas H. Streicher, Jr., Cincinnati Police Department, and Sheriff Simon L. Leis, Jr., Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, announced that Cyril Lamont Byrd, age 33, was arrested without incident by members of an FBI Fugitive Task Force at Phoenix, Arizona on September 17, 2007.

Byrd is wanted in Hamilton County, Ohio for murdering a security guard at a Cincinnati nightclub on January 1, 1999. The murder allegedly occurred after Byrd and another patron at the bar got into an altercation over a fur coat which Byrd claimed had been stolen from him. Byrd is alleged to have fired two shots from a semiautomatic pistol, one of which fatally injured Jerry Gilbert. The second shot struck and injured another person. In addition Byrd allegedly pistol whipped a third man.

On February 22, 1999 the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas issued an arrest warrant for Byrd after charging him with Murder. On April 6, 1999 a federal arrest warrant was issued by the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio charging Byrd with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.

Byrd's arrest resulted after a tip to the FBI Office in Phoenix on Monday advising that Byrd was living in Phoenix. After obtaining information from the FBI Cincinnati Division, FBI agents at Phoenix along with other Phoenix area police officers arrested Byrd outside his residence at approximately 3 pm PDT yesterday. Byrd did not resist and admitted his identity to the arresting agents and officers. A search of Byrd's apartment revealed a 9mm handgun and $15,000 in cash. Byrd has been jailed in Phoenix pending state extradition proceedings.

A/SAC Batts, SAC Lewis, Chief Streicher and Sheriff Leis noted the strong cooperation between the agencies involved which led to Byrd's arrest. All commended the America's Most Wanted television show on the Fox Network which has featured Byrd on several occasions since 1999, most recently in June 2007. Byrd's picture is available at the web link: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/fugitives/vc/murders/byrd_cl.dtm.

It should be noted that the subject in this matter has only been charged with a criminal offense. Individuals are presumed innocent until being convicted in a criminal court.