US Marshals find violent fugitive tied to shooting hiding out in rural cabin
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ST. ANTHONY — Authorities arrested a dangerous fugitive in rural Fremont County Monday night who is connected to a shooting in Shelley.
U.S. Marshals were looking for 36-year-old Tyson Lee Buss who had been paroled last year after spending 16 years in prison for the 2003 killing of a man in Idaho Falls. On Jan. 26, a shooting happened at a Shelley apartment and investigators determined Buss was allegedly responsible.
Buss had an Idaho Department of Correction warrant issued for his arrest. The US Marshal Service told EastIdahoNews.com that deputy marshals spent most of Monday tracking down the fugitive’s whereabouts. Authorities were led to a remote cabin in Drummond, a city of about 16 people on Highway 32 between Ashton and Tetonia. Around 8:30 p.m., authorities were able to get Buss out of the cabin and he was taken into custody peacefully.
Authorities were aware of Buss’s violent history and known affiliation to the Severely Violent Criminals, a gang that began in Pocatello that permeated Idaho’s prison system.
Members of the Blackfoot Police Department, Idaho Department of Correction, Pocatello Police Department, Idaho Falls Police Department, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Idaho State Police helped apprehend Buss.
The 2003 homicide
On May 25, 2003, court records show that Buss shot and killed Dwight Thompson. The two were reportedly involved in a dispute over drug money when Thompson found Buss in an alley at South Boulevard and 7th Street. Within 90 seconds, witnesses saw Buss shoot and kill Thompson, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Prosecutors charged Buss with first-degree murder. As part of an Alford plea agreement, Buss pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a use of deadly weapon sentencing enhancement. He was sentenced in February 2004 to spend 16 to 30 years in prison.
An Alford plea is a guilty plea where a defendant continues to assert their innocence, but admits a jury would likely find them guilty with the evidence presented.
Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole records show Buss was granted parole on April 6, 2020.
Allegations in Shelley
On Jan. 26, around 6:30 a.m., the Shelley Police Department responded to a shooting at the Carnoustie Apartments on West Fir Street. Investigators found evidence of the shooting and learned of a possible suspect but did not release his name for fear he would take off.
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By 5 p.m. that day, a judge signed a warrant to arrest Buss and prosecutors charged him with felony unlawful discharge of a firearm at a motor vehicle, assault with intent to commit a serious felony (murder) and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Charging documents allege that Buss shot the gun at a woman’s car while she sat inside. It’s not clear how many times Buss fired the gun, but bullets went through the window. The woman was not hit. Court records show Buss likely used a .380 handgun during the alleged shooting.
Buss was booked at the Bingham County Jail. He is scheduled for an initial appearance Tuesday morning and a preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 10 before magistrate Judge James Barrett Jr.
Although Buss is charged with a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.