Reward for DeSoto County escapee increased; case draws attention of Dog the Bounty Hunter

The total reward for a DeSoto County inmate who escaped from custody has increased to $20,000 — and drawn attention from a nationally known bounty hunter.

The initial reward from U.S. Marshals was set at $10,000 — that number has been matched by the DeSoto County District Attorney's office. DeSoto DA Matthew Barton said they're giving full support to the U.S. Marshals tracking the fugitive.

"We're not taking our foot off the pedal," Barton said. "We're deploying every resource at our disposal to help them hunt down, apprehend, and bring this violent criminal back to DeSoto County to face the consequences of his actions.

Joshua Zimmerman walked out of the DeSoto County Courthouse on June 14 and reportedly received a ride into Memphis. He was scheduled for a hearing over an attempted murder charge, among other charges. One week later, Barton claimed video footage of Zimmerman's escape was deleted from his office's servers in what he described as a "conspiracy." A grand jury is currently investigating the escape and alleged evidence tampering.

Duane Chapman, well known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter," has also joined the search for Zimmerman, according to a post he made on X.

Chapman is known for his role in the A&E show "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which ran for eight seasons before its cancellation in 2012.

If you see Zimmerman, call 911 immediately, and do not approach him. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the U.S. Marshals at 1-800-336-0102.

Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him atjacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com.