Escaped murderer nabbed in Gardnerville after 32 years on the lam

An escaped murderer on the run for more than three decades was arrested in Gardnerville on Monday, a Douglas County official said today.

Robert Charles Johnson, also known as Robert Fargo, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and Douglas County deputies at his Douglas County home about 8 p.m.

Johnson, 57, originally of Colorado Springs, Colo., was serving a 10 to 15 year prison sentence for a 1973 second-degree murder conviction, when he escaped from the Colorado Department of Corrections in 1975, said Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Mezzetta.

Mezzetta said after Johnson escaped, he assumed the name of Robert Fargo and began to work for river rafting companies in the Angels Camp, Calif., area.

In 2005, the Colorado Department of Corrections requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group Task Force in locating and apprehending Johnson.

On Friday, U.S. Marshals developed information that Johnson was living in Gardnerville.

Johnson's 32 years on the run ended at approximately 8 p.m. Monday. A team of deputy U.S. marshals from Reno, Las Vegas and Douglas County sheriff's deputies arrested Johnson at his home.

Johnson is being held in the Douglas County jail on the Colorado escape charge, pending extradition proceedings.