Two escapees from a Louisiana prison who are suspected of kidnapping, carjacking and killing an Ohio businessman in Vicksburg in March have been indicted by a federal grand jury, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jackson announced Friday.

The indictments name Ricky L. Wedgeworth, 36, of Memphis, and Darian “Drake” Pierce, 34, of Bogalusa, La. Each was charged with kidnapping, carjacking, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, carjacking and the interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, said Sheila Wilbanks, secretary to U.S. Attorney John M. Dowdy Jr.

If convicted, Wilbanks said, the men could face the death penalty.

Wedgeworth and Pierce are suspected in the death of 53-year-old David M. Cupps, a safety inspector from Sunbury, Ohio, who was in Vicksburg on an overnight business trip to Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station in Claiborne County. They are believed to have assaulted Cupps outside a Pemberton Square Boulevard motel, taking him and his car to Bessemer, Ala., then fleeing to Tennessee.

Cupps’ body was found March 9 outside a Bessemer motel.

Wedgeworth and Pierce, who escaped from a prison work detail March 4, eluded law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions, including Vicksburg police, U.S. Marshals, Louisiana state prison authorities, Tennessee state troopers and Shelby County, Tenn., deputies. More than 100 officers and investigators from the FBI and local and multi-state law enforcement agencies were involved in the search.

The fugitives were finally captured March 14, after a high-speed chase that began in DeSoto County, Miss., just south of Memphis, and wound through suburban and city streets around and in Memphis, authorities said.

Vicksburg police Lt. Bobby Stewart said he spoke with Cupps’ family Friday morning after he learned of the indictments.

“The family is very pleased,” Stewart said. “It has been a long time coming, but they’re pleased and now they’re just waiting for the court action.”

Stewart said the defendants, who were returned to a Louisiana prison following their capture, would be transferred to federal custody under the control of U.S. Marshals, probably within a week. He said they would probably be held at the Madison County Sheriff’s detention center in Canton.

“They will go before a U.S. magistrate in the Southern District for an initial appearance, and a trial date will be set and any needs they have for an attorney will be determined,” Stewart added.

Cupps’ wife, Della, and other family members intend to travel to Mississippi to attend the trials of Wedgeworth and Pierce, the lieutenant said.

Wedgeworth, 36, was serving time for armed robbery, and Pierce, 33, in prison for attempted second-degree murder, are believed to have stolen a prison van while on a work detail at the Louisiana Department of Public Safety headquarters near Baton Rouge, hitchhiked to Vicksburg and spent the weekend here before carjacking Cupps.

Results of an investigation released June 1 concluded that the men did not have help in their escape, either from within the Louisiana prison system or from outside accomplices, but that established policies and procedures were not followed by four public safety employees. As a result, one officer was demoted, one was suspended for 24 hours without pay and two civilians were given letters of reprimand.