BUFFALO—The FBI, along with its law enforcement partners, arrested 34-year-old Michael Burham, on federal and multiple state arrest warrants late Wednesday afternoon, following a multi-day manhunt.

Burham was arrested in South Carolina near the Berkeley-Charleston county line. Authorities credit an observant Berkeley County resident who spotted Burham near his home and immediately called 911. Responding law enforcement agencies used K-9s to track Burham, which aided in his arrest. No one was injured when Burham was taken into custody.

A federal arrest warrant from the United States District Court, for the Western District of New York, was issued for Burham on May 22, 2023, after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Burham was also wanted for state warrants out of New York and Pennsylvania.

Burham was on the run after a spree of alleged crimes, which include rape and unlawful imprisonment. He was also wanted for kidnapping an elderly couple in Pennsylvania. The couple alleges, Burham kidnapped them from their home, drove them to North Charleston, South Carolina, and released them. The couple was physically unharmed.

Thus, a large law enforcement search to locate and arrest Burham began. Burham had reportedly been sighted multiple times in the following days in the North Charleston area. A Berkeley County sheriff’s deputy encountered Burham on Tuesday, May 23rd, but Burham ran until today when he was apprehended by authorities.

“Every single law enforcement team, from Buffalo to South Carolina, was determined and committed to finding this dangerous man,” said Matthew Miraglia, special agent in charge of the FBI Buffalo Field Office. “Burham had evaded law enforcement long enough. I am thankful no one was injured and grateful to all the law enforcement agencies that came together and of course, the community members who provided tips along the way. We all came together. Our communities are safer tonight because of those efforts.”

“Jamestown Police have been working this case with our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal level, since May 11, 2023, after the homicide of Kala Hodgkin,” stated Jamestown Police Captain Robert Samuelson. “Through this collaboration, law enforcement agencies, across several states, were able to safely bring Michael Burham into custody. We thank the community for their tips and support throughout these past 13 days.

This arrest is the result of an investigation by the FBI Buffalo Field Office, Jamestown Police Department, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Dunkirk Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, FBI Pittsburgh, FBI Columbia, and all the agencies that assisted with the arrest in Charleston, South Carolina, including SLED, U.S. Marshals, SC PPP, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, SC DNR, North Charleston Police Department, Summerville Police Department, City of Charleston Police Department, and Mount Pleasant Police Department.

And of course, the citizens that called into dispatch with tips.

Burham will be extradited back to Jamestown, New York, to face his charges.