After an extensive manhunt that stretched across nearly 96 hours, North Carolina authorities and federal agents captured Ramone Alston, a convicted murderer who escaped Department of Adult Correction custody while in Orange County.
A release from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction early Friday morning shared that Alston was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. in Kannapolis, N.C. He was taken into custody without injuries to anyone when confronted by FBI Charlotte SWAT agents, Kannapolis Police officers and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officers at a hotel off Cloverleaf Parkway.
Alston had been sought by authorities since running from a prisoner transport vehicle as it arrived to UNC Hospitals’ Hillsborough campus at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, having freed himself from leg restraints and surprised the transport officers as they opened the door of the vehicle. He evaded authorities in Orange County for two days, as local and state officials swept the area surrounding the hospital and broader community, with a ground search effort being suspended Wednesday afternoon.
Alston is serving a life sentence for first degree murder, stemming from a shooting in Chapel Hill from 2015 that killed a 14-month-old infant. Because of his escape attempt, he will now also face a felony escape charge and will serve out his sentence at the Granville Correctional Center — the highest-security unit within North Carolina’s prison system, according to the Department of Adult Correction.
Additionally, investigating authorities charged a woman acquaintance shortly after Alston’s capture on Friday. Jacobia Crisp was arrested in Alamance County and charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive, according to Friday’s release.
During an afternoon press conference held by state officials, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said Crisp will be appearing in court in Orange County in the coming days on her charges. He said while the nature of the relationship between Crisp and Alston is still being investigated, it began while Alston was incarcerated and was mostly developed over phone communications.
“As far as other folks that are involved,” added Blackwood, “we certainly are investigating that and hope that we can answer those questions. We want to find out the actual facts about what happened, rather than speculation.”
Dozens of law enforcement agencies banded together to take part in the search for Alston, which Secretary of the Department of Adult Correction Todd Ishee referenced in Friday’s release.
“I am grateful to our DAC staff and thankful for the support and effort from hundreds of local, state and federal public safety officers who helped in the search and investigation that returned Alston safely to custody,” he said. “This was an incredible collaborative effort of many people and agencies.”
Orange and Chatham County District Attorney Jeff Nieman confirmed on Friday he planned for his office to prosecute Alston and any accomplices who helped him escape. He wrote on social media that despite Alston already being given a life sentence, he believes justice demands Alston fully serve that sentence and be accountable for the “unsettling impact” his escape created on the Orange County community and beyond.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their diligent, around-the-clock efforts to take Mr. Alston into custody,” Nieman said in a statement. “We are acutely aware how unsettling this has been for the public here in Orange County and beyond. Rest assured, any crimes committed within our jurisdiction by Mr. Alston and any accomplices will be prosecuted by our office.”
The Department of Adult Correction said the investigation into Alston’s movements since his Tuesday escape will continue, including whether any additional accomplices helped him evade the law and whether he committed any other crimes while out of custody. The department is already reviewing how Alston freed himself from leg restraints and ran from the transport vehicle, and said changes could be coming based on the after-incident review that has begun. Ishee added that the two transport guards with Alston on Tuesday have been reassigned to non-transport duties, but will not be put onto administrative leave as the review takes place.
Blackwood added in his comments that he believes the incident demonstrates the ability of law enforcement agencies to work together and call upon community resources to achieve their goals. He said that while the capture of Alston is complete, those partnerships are not finished — both with future cases and with this current one.
“The investigation into what actually took place — rather than speculation from everyone about what took place — will hopefully lead us to the facts about what happened,” said Blackwood of Alston’s escape. “I would ask everybody to be patient as that investigation continues.”
Featured photo via the North Carolina Department of Public Safety/PBS North Carolina.
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