Ex-Marine Known as ‘Captain America’ Sentenced to 20 Years in Cold-Case Killing

A former member of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army was sentenced to 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced on February 24 that Anthony Neubauer, 39, was convicted of aiding and abetting a kidnapping in a cold-case murder from more than 10 years ago. The accused pleaded guilty to the charges in 2024.

Neubauer, along with accomplice Matthew Rudy, kidnapped Joseph Anthony and traveled from Jamestown, New York, to Rudy’s property in Pennsylvania on May 27, 2014.

Anthony was lured to Pennsylvania under the false promise of receiving cocaine, according to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Timothy C. Lynch.

Neubauer and Rudy planned the kidnapping and killing because they believed Anthony was cooperating with a law enforcement investigation. After arriving in Pennsylvania, Neubauer and Rudy told Anthony they did not have drugs before shooting and killing him. They buried him on the same property.

Matthew Rudy was previously convicted and sentenced to prison.

“Anthony Neubauer and his co-defendant went to great lengths to silence a person they believed was cooperating in a law enforcement investigation, including kidnapping, crossing state lines, murder, and disposing of a body,” DiGiacomo said.

“A lot of time may have passed, but our law enforcement partners demonstrated perseverance and unwavering determination, which ultimately resulted in uncovering Neubauer’s actions. As a consequence, he will now spend the next two decades in prison,” DiGiacomo said

Philip Tejera, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Buffalo Field Office, said Neubauer’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s “unwavering commitment to pursuing justice."

When the Jamestown Police Department had requested assistance with the cold-case murder investigation, the FBI surged resources across Western New York and northern Pennsylvania.

“By combining investigative technology and proven tactics, we were able to secure justice for the victim and his family,” Tejera said.

An attorney representing Neubauer stated that his client struggled in high school and dropped out after the 11th grade. After the 9/11 attacks, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where one person called him “Captain America”.

Neubauer was deployed to Iraq and other overseas locations, where he saw combat. He later joined the U.S. Army as a ranger before he was discharged because of injuries in 2014, according to Law&Crime.

Neubauer's attorney claimed that his client suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and began using drugs with Rudy around the time of the kidnapping. The attorney asked the judge to reduce his sentence.

Although Judge Wolford called the whole situation “tragic”, she told the court firmly, “you can't intentionally kill somebody and expect to get a (lesser) sentence.”