The Eyrie

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO — A Missouri woman accused of driving while intoxicated in a crash that killed three of her children has been arrested in Texas, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Kaia Walls, 33, of Hayti, was taken into custody Oct. 22 in Killeen, Texas, on a warrant issued in New Madrid County. Authorities say the arrest is tied to a Sept. 25 wreck on U.S. 61, about three miles north of Matthews, that left three children dead and led to a long search for Walls after she left Missouri.

How investigators say the crash happened near Matthews

Authorities said the crash occurred around 9:10 p.m. when an SUV driven by Walls struck the rear of a pickup truck. After the collision, investigators said the SUV left the roadway and overturned multiple times.

The crash happened on U.S. 61 in the Missouri Bootheel, a stretch of highway that runs through New Madrid County. Three of Walls’ children died in the wreck, while the collision also led to charges involving injuries to other people, according to the warrant.

Officials have not released additional details about the other vehicle or the condition of everyone involved beyond what is outlined in the charges.

Authorities say Walls received treatment before leaving Missouri

After the crash, Walls received medical treatment, authorities said. Investigators later determined that she left Missouri, prompting a search that eventually led law enforcement to Texas.

Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators found that Walls was with her father in Killeen, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. That information led the Highway Patrol to ask for help from federal marshals.

The case moved from a local crash investigation to an interstate fugitive search once officials learned Walls was no longer in Missouri. Her arrest in Texas closed that part of the manhunt, but the underlying criminal case remains pending.

U.S. marshals coordinated the Texas arrest without incident

U.S. marshals in Cape Girardeau contacted their counterparts in Waco, Texas, who then arrested Walls without incident, officials said. The arrest took place in Killeen on Oct. 22.

Steven Lewis, U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri, praised the Highway Patrol’s work and said the agency’s investigation helped make the arrest possible. The Marshals Service said the warrant had been issued in New Madrid County.

Federal and state authorities did not report any problems during the arrest, and no further details were given about the circumstances at the time Walls was located.

The warrant lists murder, DWI and child endangerment counts

According to the arrest warrant, Walls faces three counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault and 13 counts of armed criminal action. The warrant also lists three counts of driving while intoxicated resulting in death and two counts of driving while intoxicated resulting in serious physical injury.

In addition, she faces four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The charges reflect the crash investigators’ view of the case, but they remain allegations until tested in court.

Walls is expected to be extradited to Missouri to face the charges in New Madrid County. Court proceedings there will determine how the case moves forward.

What happens next in the Missouri case

Walls’ arrest means Missouri prosecutors can proceed with the case in the state where the crash occurred. The extradition process will return her to Missouri so she can answer the charges connected to the September wreck.

The case has drawn attention because of the deaths of three children and the breadth of the charges, which include homicide, intoxication-related counts and child endangerment. For now, investigators and marshals have said only that the arrest was completed and that the case will continue in Missouri.

Authorities also emphasized that the allegations have not been proven in court. Under the law, Walls is presumed innocent unless and until a judge or jury finds otherwise.