Fugitive Survival Expert Found Dead in Woods

A manhunt for a retired special forces soldier accused of shooting his wife in rural Tennessee is over. US Marshals confirmed Wednesday that 53-year-old Craig Mark Berry is dead and "no longer a threat to the public," NBC News reports. The Stewart County Sheriff's Office said he appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and was found during a search by the sheriff's tactical team and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents in a wooded area a few miles from his home in Dover in the state's northwest. His body was found near where trail cameras spotted him entering the woods and police believe he killed himself on the night that he fled, WTVF reports.

Berry had been missing since early last Thursday, when deputies were called to a home around 1:30am. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Berry's wife said he beat her and tried to strangle her, CNN reports. Sheriff Frankie Gray said Berry shot his wife as she tried to escape in her car. She drove off, with Berry following in his truck until he crashed and wrecked the vehicle, authorities said. Investigators believe he returned to his home for more ammunition before he disappeared into the woods. His wife survived and was hospitalized with what Gray described as initially "life-threatening" injuries; she has since been released.

Investigators said Berry was armed with at least one handgun and an automatic weapon. Officials warned the public that Berry, described as a retired special forces veteran with extensive survival training and in good physical condition, could be difficult to track. He faced charges including attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, domestic assault, and leaving the scene of an accident. The search in the area's rough terrain included helicopters, K-9 units, and grid searches, reports WTVF.

• "The United States Marshals Service Middle District of Tennessee is proud to have assisted in the search for this violent criminal with our federal, state, and local partners," US Marshals Service spokesman Christian Marrero said.