‘No longer a threat.’ Man wanted for 2 Chester killings captured in Maryland
A man charged with murder in two Chester County killings has been caught in Maryland, police said.
Kenneth Xavier Redfern Jr., 26, was captured Friday morning by federal agents in Maryland outside Baltimore, according to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office.
Redfern was caught in Harford County, close to the state lines of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Details of the capture were not released.
Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey said his deputies’ teamwork with the U.S. Marshal’s Service and State Law Enforcement Division was crucial in capturing Redfern.
“Without their assistance, Redfern would still be free and able to continue his violent crime spree,” Dorsey said. “This man is dangerous, and we are glad he is no longer a threat.”
Redfern is charged with murder in the September killing of Martimothy McIlwain, 33, outside a Great Falls nightclub.
He is also charged with murder in the June killing of Albert Betha, 25, in Chester, according to Chester County court records.
Both men were shot, Dorsey said.
The murder charge against Redfern in the June case came after Chester County prosecutors dropped a murder charge against another man in the death.
SLED and Chester County officials have not said if there is a connection between the two cases. Redfern is from Baltimore but has connections to York County and Chester County in South Carolina, officials said.
Candice Lively, 6th Circuit deputy solicitor, said her office in Chester will prosecute both cases against Redfern after he is extradited. Redfern has not yet appeared in court in Maryland for an extradition hearing on the two murder charges in South Carolina.
A conviction for murder in South Carolina carries a minimum of 30 years in prison up to life.
At the time of his arrest Friday, Redfern was wanted by Maryland authorities, according to police and Maryland court records. He was arrested on 10 charges in February that includes altering a weapon’s identification serial number, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, three counts of assault, and reckless endangerment, Maryland court records show. He was released on $35,000 bond but failed to show up for court in Maryland, records show.
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 12:48 PM.
