A suspect in the slaying of former Wichita Falls woman Susan Miller Loper jumped into the Grand Canyon Friday to avoid arrest.
Reports indicated the suspect was panhandling near the rim of the Grand Canyon when Arizona authorities asked for his identification. His reaction was to literally jump into the canyon.
He fell only about 25 feet. He was rescued by law enforcement and taken to a Flagstaff, Arizona hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Texas authorities said late Friday the arrested suspect would be extradited back to Texas to face capital murder charges in the death of the 40-year old Susan Loper who was a 1989 graduate of Wichita Falls Rider High School.
Texas Rangers will travel to Arizona to take the fugitive into custody.
Loper's parents still live in Wichita Falls as do many of her friends.
Wichita Falls friend Marla Malone was among many from Wichita Falls to travel to Loper's Frisco home upon hearing word of her disappearance on Tuesday from her job as a physical fitness instructor at Plano's Gleneagles Country Club. Loper had worked at the country club for 16 years. Today was to have been her last day working at the country club.
Friends feared the worst after hearing police found evidence of a struggle inside a physcial fitness room where she worked. Loper had also missed several appointments that day which was unusual for her. Loper's wallett and cell phone were found in the physical fitness room and there were signs of a struggle.
Loper's parents reportedly traveled often to Frisco to visit their daughter and grandson Jake who is eight years of age.
Susan Loper had remained close with her former husband Craig Loper who said Friday he knew the identity of the suspect. He stated that Susan and Terrance Deering Black had dated in the past but had not been seeing each other for a while. Susan Loper had been dating someone else recently.
Wichita Falls friends of Susan Loper said she was about to realize her dream of having her own business. She was to open her own pilates business in Plano this week.
Loper's body was found Wednesday not far from the Dallas Tollway where it runs through Frisco, Texas.
Several of Loper's friends appeared on Wichita Falls Channel 3 News Friday evening and talked about what a wonderful person she was and how much she was already missed.
Marla Malone said they were best friends since their days together at Rider High School.
It was about midnight Wednesday when police located Susan Loper's abandoned SUV near the tollway, according to the Dallas Morning News website.
Plano police spokesman Rick McDonald said the evidence inside the SUV raised suspicions that an attack had occurred inside the vehicle. He declined to discuss the evidence in detail at this point in the investigation.
Marla Malone was quoted in a Wichita Falls Times Record News article by Matt Ledesma Thursday as saying, "Everyone who met her (Susan Loper), loved her. She was just someone who truly loved life."
Texas Rangers and U.S. Marshals have been working alongside the Plano Police Department on the case.
Authorities have yet to reveal details of the autopsy as it is still early in the investigation.
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