After more than a year on the run and a nationwide search that landed him on Texas’ 10 Most Wanted list, Gordon Dale Lemons has been captured.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the 46-year-old Texarkana man was arrested on June 2, 2026, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, by the Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office. Lemons had recently been added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, carrying a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Lemons had been wanted by Bowie County authorities on multiple charges, including two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact, and 11 counts of indecency with a child by exposure. Authorities continued to classify him as armed and dangerous during the manhunt.
The case gained widespread attention after investigators alleged that Lemons staged his own death in May 2025 to avoid prosecution. According to court records and investigators, his court-ordered GPS ankle monitor lost signal near the Red River bridge on Highway 82, leading many to believe he had committed suicide. However, no body was ever found. Investigators later determined that his vehicle returned to his Texarkana residence shortly after the signal disappeared, and evidence suggested he fled the area instead.
Authorities later alleged that Lemons traveled across Texas and attempted to enter Mexico before receiving assistance from an ex-girlfriend. The woman was subsequently charged with hindering the apprehension of a known felon.
DPS records show Lemons was originally arrested in July 2024 in Bowie County on an aggravated sexual assault of a child charge and was released on bond before additional charges were filed. Warrants for the expanded list of charges were issued in May 2025 after he failed to appear in court.
His capture officially removes him from Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list. Authorities have not yet released additional details regarding his extradition or upcoming court appearances.
Sources: Texas Department of Public Safety and court records. (Texas Department of Public Safety)
