A man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Bridgeport in 2009 is in police custody after he was extradited from Spain on Thursday.
Members of the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force traveled to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Thursday and took custody of 46-year-old Marques Wanderson, who was transported back to the Bridgeport Police Department and charged with murder, according to Tiadora Josef, director of public information for the City of Bridgeport.
On Aug. 2, 2009, Bridgeport police responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment complex on the 200 block of Madison Avenue. When police arrived, they found 49-year-old Harold Gantt suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Josef said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Bridgeport Police Department’s Detective Bureau took charge of the investigation. Detectives learned that there had been an on-going verbal disagreement between Wanderson and Gantt, who both resided in the same apartment complex, according to Josef.
As a result of the investigation conducted by retired Bridgeport Police Captain James Viadero, an arrest warrant was obtained for Wanderson on Aug. 5, 2009, Josef said. Police believe Wanderson fled the United States shortly after the shooting, traveling to several different countries, according to Josef.
Wanderson was taken into custody by the Spanish National Police in August 2024. “A strong partnership between southern Europe and U.S. law enforcement is the reason this fugitive has been brought to justice,” Josef said.
Wanderson was being held on a $5 million bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Bridgeport Superior Court on Friday.
“We would like to thank the government of Spain, the United States Embassy in Madrid, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut States Attorney’s Office Judicial District of Bridgeport and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Liaison to the Overseas Fugitive Program (Interpol) for taking the suspect into custody and facilitating his extradition back to Connecticut,” Josef said. “A special thanks goes to Chief State Inspector James Viadero, who is currently serving with the CT Office of the Inspector General.”
Originally Published: February 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM EST