Troopers arrest man wanted in 2017 Kent fatal crash along I-5
Published 10:31 am Friday, April 3, 2026
Washington State Patrol detectives arrested a man wanted for more than eight years after failing to appear on a vehicular homicide charge in a 2017 crash along Interstate 5 in Kent that killed a woman.
Jerry C. Denson, 36, was placed on the State Patrol’s Most Wanted list in 2017 after failing to appear in court, according to a April 2 State Patrol media list. The charge stems from a DUI-related collision on I-5, in which Joy Marie Brannon, a 28-year-old passenger in Denson’s vehicle, was killed.
Over the past several months, State Patrol detectives and the Organized Crime Intel Unit developed credible information regarding Denson’s whereabouts and worked in close coordination with members of the U.S. Marshals Violent Offender Task Force to safely apprehend him.
Denson was taken into custody without incident in Seattle and booked into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle where he will face proceedings related to the original vehicular homicide charge. He is being held on $100,000 bail, according to jail records.
“No matter how much time passes, we will continue to pursue those who evade accountability for serious crimes,” said Trisena Sharff, captain of the State Patrol’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s (April 2) arrest is the result of relentless investigative work and strong partnerships, and we hope it brings some measure of justice to the Brannon family.”
Denson, who had a last known address of Auburn on the Most Wanted List, was driving a vehicle southbound on I-5 at State Route 516 in Kent while reportedly under the influence of alcohol, according to the State Patrol. Denson lost control of the vehicle causing it to leave the roadway and flip. Brannon, a passenger in Denson’s vehicle, was ejected into the northbound lanes of I-5 and died as a result of her injuries.
“This tragic crash was not forgotten, and I appreciate the work between the State Patrol and our Special Operations Unit to find and safely apprehend this defendant,” King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and this vehicular homicide case will move forward in the courts with our Felony Traffic Unit.”
