HAYWOOD COUNTY, TN- The US Marshals are seeking the public’s help in safely taking murder suspect Dequarius Lax into custody.
On May 19, 2026, the Haywood County Grand Jury reconvened and returned an indictment for Dequarius “DQ” Lax of Brownsville, charging him with twenty-two separate Counts, including the First Degree Murder of 17-year-old Saturah Hayes.
Lax is also charged with six Counts of Attempted First Degree Murder for shooting six other individuals at a pre-Prom picture gathering at Webb F. Banks Passive Park in Brownsville on the evening of Friday, May 8th.
The U.S. Marshals are attempting to safely and securely take Lax into custody; however, we now need the assistance of the community.
“We are requesting the public’s help with bringing Lax into custody. If you know of his whereabouts, we encourage you to contact law enforcement. Based on his charges, Lax is considered armed and dangerous. Lastly, anyone who is assisting Lax from being apprehended or harboring him will be charged and prosecuted.”
-Jimmy Wilson, Criminal Investigator, Office of the District Attorney General for the 28th Judicial District.
Lax is an 18-year-old black male who is 5’7” and weighs around 130 lbs.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Brownsville Police Department, is leading this ongoing investigation. If you have any information about this case or Lax’s location, please call 1-800-TBI- FIND and anonymously report what you know. You can also reach out to Investigator Jimmy Wilson at jdwilson@tndagc.org or 731-855-7813.