A woman who went on the run with her husband six months ago after she allegedly shot and killed her co-worker over an argument about moving tables at a furniture plant in North Carolina has been found and arrested in Arizona.
United States Marshals announced on Tuesday that they had arrested Tangela Parker, 50, and her husband, Eric Parker, 62, in Phoenix in connection with the fatal shooting of Phelifia 'Michelle' Marlow on January 13.
'Today marks six months since the tragic murder of Phelifia Marlow,' Chris Edge, acting United States Marshal for the Western District of North Carolina, said in a statement following the Parkers' arrest.
'I hope on this day, Phelifia's family may find closure in knowing the Parkers have been apprehended and will finally answer for their crimes against a beloved North Carolinian.'
Tangela is being charged with first-degree murder and Eric is being charged as an accessory after-the-fact to first degree murder.
The couple will now be extradited back to North Carolina, waving their right to a hearing at an arraignment on Wednesday.
Tangela, 50, (left) and Eric Parker, 62, (right) were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, six months after Tangela allegedly shot a co-worker over a dispute about table placements
The couple waived their right to an extradition hearing at an arraignment on Wednesday
Their arrest at 12.30pm on Tuesday comes after a months-long investigation stretching across eight states, in which officials posted their photos and descriptions on billboards and asked the public for help finding them.
The Marshals offered a $10,000 reward for any information about their whereabouts.
They reportedly received more than 30 leads into their whereabouts before tracking them down in Phoenix.
The Parkers were reportedly living under the aliases Jason and Elizabeth Reardon, and had survived by panhandling and begging for money, taking a job at a horse ranch in Phoenix to pay for a room they found on Craigslist, after living out of their Honda CR-V for nearly three months and changing out their license plates to evade authorities.
The couple had been doing 'everything possible they could do to stay under the radar', US Marshal Brian Alfano told WSOC, and had not taken any money out of their bank accounts since they first fled the scene of the shooting at TCS Designs in Hickory, North Carolina.\
Phelifia Michele Marlow died of a gunshot wound on January 13
She is survived by her husband, two daughters and grandchildren. She is pictured here with her daughter, Makayla, who described her mother as her best friend
The shooting occurred on January 13 at around 2.30pm at TCS Designs in Hickory, seen here
Hickory police had found Phelifia at TCS Designs suffering from gunshot wounds at around 2.30pm on January 13, and she was rushed to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
At the time, Phelifia's husband, Justin Marlow, said she and Tangela had gotten into a 'very silly' argument about moving tables in the work place, and alleged that Tangela had been bullying his wife.
Phelifia reportedly filed a complaint with management following the argument, claiming Tangela had screamed at her, and management sent Parker home for three days.
She allegedly returned at 2.30pm on January 13 and shot Marlow dead.
Workers at TCS Designs said they heard at least two shots and that the furniture plant went on lockdown.
Phelifia's husband, Justin, and their daughter, mourned her after the shooting, claiming Tangela had bullied her, and had a reputation of being aggressive
United States Marshalls put up descriptions of Tangela and Eric Parker, seen here, on billboards as their investigation expanded into eight states
They offered up to $10,000 for any information about their whereabouts
Justin had previously told the Hickory Daily Record that he had had heard from people who worked at the plant that Tangela had a reputation for being aggressive and argumentative.
His daughter with Phelifia, Makayla, said she 'felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders' when she heard the news that Tangela had been arrested, describing her mother to WSOC as her 'best friend.'
Friends and family took to Facebook to mourn her loss in the wake of the shooting.
'It's so SAD. Michelle was a very sweet & loving person. She would do anything for anybody. I LOVE YOU MICHELLE,' one friend wrote.
Another wrote: 'I loved her so much. I am so very sorry. I hope that lady rots in hell.'
One woman said she grew up with Tangela Parker and described her family as 'church-going people'.
Phelifia is survived by her husband, two daughters and grandchildren.
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