'El Gringo Loco' Wanted in Brutal RivCo Murder Captured in Guatemala: FBI

SKY VALLEY, CA — A Riverside County man who'd been on the FBI's most wanted list for several years is on his way back to the United States from Guatemala to face charges for the 2008 murder of a local woman, officials say.

Edward Lee LeBlanc, 38, is accused of killing Kristin Miner, a 44-year-old Thousand Palms resident, on Valentine's Day in 2008. Her body was found six months later in a shallow grave in the California desert, according to the FBI.

"Leblanc allegedly stabbed the woman in the stomach after an argument," according to the FBI. "He then allegedly drove her to a remote area of the desert where he burned her body, and then buried her in a shallow grave."

For some time, officials believed LeBlanc — who went by the aliases of "El Gringo Loco," "Mauricio" and Ed Comparini — was in Guatemala where he was telling people he was a deserter from the U.S. Marine Corps, the FBI said.

"He has also been active in various rugby leagues in Guatemala," a FBI wanted poster stated prior to his capture. "LeBlanc has stated that he served in the United States Marine Corps and fled to Guatemala as a conscientious objector. Leblanc was never a member of the Marine Corps and has no military background."

U.S. and Guatemalan authorities caught up with LeBlanc on Monday in the city of Cuyotenango. The FBI said LeBlanc was expected to be booked Tuesday in Miami before being extradited to Riverside County.

"During the investigation, many efforts were made to locate LeBlanc, to include publicity by local media and at fbi.gov, where LeBlanc’s photo and description were posted," FBI officials said. "A tip providing LeBlanc’s location was received by the FBI over the past weekend, ultimately leading to his arrest on Monday."

LeBlanc was charged in 2008 with murder and a sentence enhancement for using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, and a warrant was issued for his arrest that August.

According to the FBI, LeBlanc allegedly stabbed Miner in the stomach on Feb. 14, 2008, following an argument. He then allegedly drove her to a remote area of the desert in Sky Valley, burned her body and buried it in a shallow grave.

In July 2008, investigators found human remains in the desert north of Dillon Road.

He was also federally charged in 2013 with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The United States government is expected to dismiss the federal warrant charging LeBlanc, according to the FBI.

Federal authorities say a tip providing LeBlanc's location was received by the FBI over the weekend, leading to his arrest by FBI agents and police officers with the Guatemala National Civil Police.

At the time of his capture, federal authorities were offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his arrest.

– City News Service contributed to this report.