‘Betrayed.’ An alleged Coast child rapist went on the run with his friend’s identity
Jacob Blair Scott was using the name of a friend and former co-worker at Chevron’s Pascagoula refinery after he reportedly faked his own death and went on the run.
For over a year, Scott had been living in a camper in an RV park in Antlers, Oklahoma, and using the alias Lucas “Luke” Walding.
Authorities say the 43-year-old fugitive from Moss Point faked his death in Orange Beach, Alabama, in July 2018, and ran. He disappeared just days before he was set to enter a plea in a Jackson County child sex abuse case that could send him to prison for life.
On Jan. 29, a tip led to Scott’s capture within 24 hours of him being named one of the U.S. Marshals top 15 most-wanted fugitives and within hours of him being featured on Investigation Discovery’s “In Pursuit” with John Walsh..
When marshals and other authorities searched his camper, they found various Id’s, including a military ID, along with other evidence, authorities told the Sun Herald.
Scott and Walding are Army veterans who both served in combat in Iraq and grew up together in Hurley. Both men attended East Central High School and had been friends for over 20 years.
But not anymore.
“He’s not the same person I knew,” he said. “Never in my mind was a thought that he would do something like this. If I ever had the slightest doubt that he would, I would have never been friends with him.”
Walding sat down with the Sun Herald this week to discuss what he has endured since Scott’s capture.
Jackson County investigators get involved
The day after Scott’s arrest, Walding said, Jackson County Sheriff’s Investigator Randy Muffley called him to ask if he could meet with Walding.
Walding said he agreed and went to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Randy told me he (Scott) had been arrested the night before and he was going by Luke Walding,” he said. “I thought Randy was joking at first. I said, ‘you are joking, right?’ ”
“I was floored about it,” Walding told the Sun Herald in an exclusive interview at his home. “I had no idea. I was shocked he used my name. Think about if you had a friend you found out (was accused of this) and went on the run and they were using your name. That is really not a friend at all in my book.”
Walding said he hadn’t really seen Scott since his indictment in Jackson County on 14 felony child sex abuse charges and Scott’s employment ended at Chevron shortly thereafter.
“Honestly, I hate to even be associated because of everything that has happened,” he said.
‘I feel betrayed’
After Alabama authorities found Scott’s abandoned boat and what appeared to be a suicide note, Walding said he truly thought he had lost another friend and fellow veteran to suicide.
When he thought Scott had died, he said it truly affected him.
“I ain’t going to lie, I was kinda shook up about it a little,” he said. “I wouldn’t want anybody I knew — no matter what they’ve done — to commit suicide.”
Though he said he heard allegations that Scott may have faked his death, he said he didn’t really have an opinion on it and assumed his friend had died.
“At that time, I just wanted to close that chapter,” he said. “I didn’t really want to think about it anymore.”
He called it “wild” to think someone he considered a friend and “brother” in combat would allegedly commit a crime and fake his death.
“That is like something you would see out of a movie,” he said. “It’s not normal behavior for a person to be like that.”
Walding said he’ll never quite understand why Scott, a man he described as friendly and “likable,” would want to throw his life away like he believes Scott has done.
Scott, he said, was the kind of of guy who could be in a crowd of people and it wouldn’t be long before the crowd was drawn to him and listening to his stories and jokes.
Walding said he spent many days hanging out with Scott at his home and tinkering with cars, such as a “Ghostbusters” car that included a smoke device Scott created using odd parts.
“He did really good at his job because he talked to all the new hires at Chevron and ... he’d come in there and give little motivational speeches... ,” Walding said. “It was amazing how he was such a great guy and that he messed everything up. I mean, seriously, he had everything in life that you could want ... and he threw it all away.”
Since Walding learned Scott was using his identity, he said he has had to sit down with his family to explain what was going on.
“It’s honestly been stressful,” he said. “I talked with my kids and told them about it cause it’s obviously going to come out in the news,” he said. “I don’t want them to be shocked or hear it from somebody else when they hear something.”
Walding said he’s also heard people suggest that he’s somehow involved in Scott’s alleged scheme to live his life on the run.
“I’ve had people question me about it, and I tell them just what I told Randy (the investigator),” he said. “I was friends with him and that’s about the extent. If I’m guilty of anything, that’s all I’m guilty of.”
Other charges expected
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said Thursday that his investigators are continuing their work with state and federal authorities in and out-of-state to determine if anyone helped him in his attempt to avoid prosecution.
In addition, he said, at least one additional federal charge is expected to be handed down soon.
“We are working with federal authorities and understand a charge that may be pending is hindering prosecution because the Coast Guard was actively involved and did an extensive search for Scott during the time he staged his death over there (in Alabama),” Ezell said.
Authorities also recovered various disposal burner phones and a laptop computer since Scott was taken into custody in Oklahoma. All of the items and other evidence, the sheriff said, are undergoing a forensic analysis “to trace who he was possibly in contact with.”
“We believe he had various folks helping him,” Ezell said. “We are looking at anybody that could be involved in all of this. This investigation is far from over.”
Since Scott’s capture, Walding said someone he knew passed on a message to him from Scott that the fugitive had access to an iPad and wanted to talk to Walding.
Walding didn’t the person who passed on the message, saying he’d rather keep it to himself.
Though electronic devices, such as an iPad, are not allowed in the Jackson County jail, the devices are accessible to prisoners in Oklahoma, the Sun Herald confirmed.
Walding said he does not desire to reach out to Scott, though he would like him to explain why he used Walding’s name.
“I mean, if you are going to throw your life away, that’s fine,” Walding said. “Just don’t drag anybody else into it. It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
