America’s Most Wanted fugitive returned to U.S.

MATAMOROS — One of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives was captured Saturday near Matamoros and spent the night in Cameron County.

Donald Edward Lynch, 66, was spotted by police about 20 miles from here in El Mesquital. He has been featured several times on the television program America’s Most Wanted, most recently on Aug. 5 last year.

Lynch is wanted in Tennessee on 11 counts of rape of a child, 38 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of aggravated sexual battery. The FBI obtained a warrant for his arrest after he fled to Mexico.

He denies the charges.

“It’s ‘cause I’m black,” he said. “Tennessee is the most prejudiced state in the country.”

Under heavy security and surrounded by armed officers, Lynch yelled at reporters Saturday, spit, babbled and claimed his real name is “Reynaldo Price.”

“You wanted a show, I gave you a show,” he said.

Among his purported victims are two sisters, ages 7 and 11, who claim he sexually assaulted them in 2003.

Shortly after the girls reported the assault, Tennessee authorities raided Lynch’s home and reported finding hundreds of pornographic images, a video camera, a loaded handgun and magazine clippings depicting young girls in sexually explicit positions, according to his profile on the America’s Most Wanted Web site.

Officials later concluded that Lynch was linked to the sexual molestation of at least eight other girls, including a 3-year-old.

He said he has been living in Matamoros for close to four years and worked at an area hotel.

“In the four years I was here, numerous kids came to the hotel and I didn’t do anything to them,” he said.

Mexican authorities have begun an investigation and plan to question children who might have come into contact with Lynch in Matamoros.

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio confirmed late Saturday that Lynch had been extradited to the United States and was being held at the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito.