The U.S. Marshals Service, along with law enforcement officers in Illinois, announced last week that they have apprehended a man linked to the 2023 murder of a woman from Springfield.

KSDK reported that the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that Gabriel Calixto was taken into custody in Mexico.

The arrest came more than two years after his girlfriend, 24-year-old Emma Shafer, was found stabbed to death in July 2023, according to WICA.

The State’s Attorney’s Office has charged Calixto with first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery.

The search for Calixto began after his sister called 911, reporting that her brother may have harmed his girlfriend.

This isn’t Calixto’s first legal encounter. According to KSDK, he was previously convicted of kidnapping a woman from Bethalto in 2018. Additionally, in 2021, he faced federal charges related to illegal entry.

The collaboration between the U.S. Marshals and the Springfield, Illinois, police, which began their search two years ago, has culminated in the arrest of Calixto and the arrangements for his extradition to Illinois.

[Feature Photo: Handout]