Background: The Azle (Tex.) Police Department (Google Maps). Inset top: Kruz Dean Wanser (Azle Police Department). Inset bottom: Margaret Pennington (Legacy.com obituary).
A fugitive, whose booking photo went viral due to his sweatshirt’s unsettling message, has been apprehended after allegedly fleeing following a woman’s suspicious death in a Texas home.
Kruz Dean Wanser was taken into custody on Thursday, as announced in a Facebook update by the Azle Police Department. Authorities stated that Wanser was “wanted in relation to the suspicious death” of 37-year-old Margaret Pennington.
“Pennington was found deceased in an Azle residence on Sunday, January 11, 2026,” the police report indicated, noting that the “cause of death remains under investigation.”
Wanser’s booking photo captured attention as he donned a blue hoodie with a striking statement emblazoned in bold white letters.
The message read, “I will put you in a trunk and help people look for you,” in large block capitals.
This phrase was complemented by the words “Stop playing with me,” styled in a more playful font.
The Azle Police Department statement called Wanser “a wanted fugitive.” He has been charged with tampering or fabricating physical evidence to impair a human corpse, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and parole violation.
A search of Tarrant County records indicates that someone with the name Kruz Dean Wanser has previously been charged with possession of a controlled substance, manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, and evading arrest with a vehicle.
An online obituary remembers Pennington as having a “creative and sentimental spirit,” noting that although she was “small in stature, she had a strong presence and a way of leaving an impression on those who knew her.”
“Margaret’s life was a tapestry of complexity, yet she embodied the essence of humanity and the profound love she shared,” the online tribute also said. “She will be remembered for her creativity, humor, and the unwavering love that radiated from within her.”
The investigation into Pennington’s death “is an open investigation and anyone with any information related to the death of Pennington is encouraged to contact the Azle Police Department,” Azle police noted in the online statement.
Azle is located some 50 miles west of Dallas.
