Current:Home > Contact‘No concrete leads’ in search for escaped inmate convicted of murder, North Carolina sheriff says -RiskWatch
‘No concrete leads’ in search for escaped inmate convicted of murder, North Carolina sheriff says
View
Date:2025-04-17 10:02:26
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — More than 24 hours after a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder escaped from a transport van, the local sheriff said Wednesday that they have “no concrete leads” on his whereabouts.
Ramone Alston, 30, escaped from the van on Tuesday as it arrived at the UNC Gastroenterology hospital in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he was being taken for a medical appointment. He freed himself from his leg restraints and fled into the woods with handcuffs on, according to a news release from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
Authorities brought in dogs and they did find tracks that led searchers north of the hospital, but the scent ran cold, Orange County Emergency Services director Kirby Saunders said at a Wednesday news conference.
U.S. marshals are supporting Orange County deputies and other law enforcement agencies in the search, helicopters have swept over the area and tips are being called in, but so far there are “no concrete leads” on Alston’s whereabouts, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood told the news conference.
Blackwood urged residents near the hospital to check their home cameras for any evidence of where Alston went, and to stay vigilant.
“He’s extremely cagey, extremely dangerous, and he has nothing to lose,” Blackwood said.
Alston has been serving a life sentence at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor since his conviction in the murder of 1-year-old Maleah Williams, who was shot on Christmas Day in 2015 from a passing car while she was playing outside her family’s apartment in Chapel Hill. She died three days later.
The transport officers involved are being interviewed to gather more details on Alston’s escape, Blackwood said. No one has been suspended, he said.
Alston has family and friends who live in the area, and Blackwood said they’ve contacted some family members, but their cooperation has been “varied.”
The reward for information leading to his capture has increased from $25,000 to $35,000 after a contribution from the U.S. Marshals Service, officials said.
While many calls from local residents haven’t been serious, the sheriff’s office has received a few tips about Alston being seen in Durham, and a team of investigators has been sent to the area to check them out, Blackwood said.
veryGood! (699)
Related
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Noah Cyrus Shares How Haters Criticizing Her Engagement Reminds Her of Being Suicidal at Age 11
- Inside Clean Energy: Here Are 5 States that Took Leaps on Clean Energy Policy in 2021
- 'Let's Get It On' ... in court
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Meet the 'financial hype woman' who wants you to talk about money
- A ‘Living Shoreline’ Takes Root in New York’s Jamaica Bay
- Jake Bongiovi Bonds With Fiancée Millie Bobby Brown's Family During NYC Outing
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Bed Bath & the great Beyond: How the home goods giant went bankrupt
Ranking
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Nuclear Energy Industry Angles for Bigger Role in Washington State and US as Climate Change Accelerates
- Amazon Reviewers Keep Coming Back to Shop These Cute, Comfy & On-Sale Summer Pants
- Rural grocery stores are dying. Here's how some small towns are trying to save them
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- From Spring to Fall, New York Harbor Is a Feeding Ground for Bottlenose Dolphins, a New Study Reveals
- North Carolina Hurricanes Linked to Increases in Gastrointestinal Illnesses in Marginalized Communities
- Warming Trends: How Hairdressers Are Mobilizing to Counter Climate Change, Plus Polar Bears in Greenland and the ‘Sounds of the Ocean’
Recommendation
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
City and State Officials Continue Searching for the Cause of Last Week’s E. Coli Contamination of Baltimore’s Water
Gen Z's dream job in the influencer industry
Why Chris Evans Deactivated His Social Media Accounts
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
The Year in Climate Photos
ESPN announces layoffs as part of Disney's moves to cut costs
Who Olivia Rodrigo Fans Think Her New Song Vampire Is Really About