New Orleans, LA. — The U.S. Marshals Service announced Tuesday that its Eastern District of Louisiana New Orleans Task Force, working with the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, has arrested a man wanted for a 2022 New Orleans homicide.
William Powell, 43, was taken into custody in Morro Bay, California, on Dec. 8 following a brief standoff at a residence on the 300 block of Mindoro Street. Powell is the suspect in the March 19, 2022, murder of 30-year-old Ciara Bullock in the 3000 block of South Saratoga Street.
A second-degree murder warrant was issued the same day as the killing, and the New Orleans Police Department soon requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals New Orleans Task Force. Investigators determined Powell fled the New Orleans area shortly after the homicide, traveling first to Jackson, Mississippi, before disappearing. In 2024, the U.S. Marshals elevated Powell to a major case.
Fresh leads in November 2025 pointed to Morro Bay, prompting coordination with Marshals offices in Bakersfield and the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. As authorities moved in, Powell again vanished, but renewed investigative efforts located him days later.
On Monday, U.S. Marshals surrounded the residence and ordered Powell to surrender. After a brief standoff, they entered the home and arrested him without further incident.
Powell is being held in San Luis Obispo County and will be extradited to Louisiana to face murder and related charges.
The U.S. Marshals emphasized that its task forces combine federal, state, and local law enforcement to track down violent offenders, including suspects in murder, sex crimes, and drug trafficking cases—serving as a “force multiplier” for community safety.
More information is available at www.usmarshals.gov.
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