‘No concrete leads’ in search for escaped murder suspect, North Carolina sheriff says

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — More than 24 hours after a prisoner serving a life sentence for murder escaped from a transport truck, the local sheriff said Wednesday that there are “no concrete leads” on his whereabouts.

Ramone Alston, 30 years old, He escaped from the van On Tuesday, when he arrived at the UNC Gastroenterology Hospital in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where he was being taken for a medical appointment, he broke free from his leg restraints and fled into the woods while still in handcuffs, according to a report. press release from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections.

Authorities brought in dogs and found tracks that led searchers north of the hospital, but the trail was lost, Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders said at a news conference Wednesday.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are assisting Orange County deputies and other state agencies in the search. Helicopters have flown overhead and tips are being sought, but so far, there are “no concrete leads” on Alston’s whereabouts, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said at the news conference.

There are about 105 people across multiple agencies and offices working on the search, with more on the way, according to the sheriff’s office.

Blackwood urged residents near the hospital to check their home cameras for evidence of where Alston went and to remain vigilant.

“He’s extremely cautious, extremely dangerous and has nothing to lose,” Blackwood said.

Alston has been serving a life sentence at Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor since he was convicted of murdering 1-year-old Maleah Williams, who was shot on Christmas Day 2015 in a drive-by shooting while playing outside her family’s Chapel Hill apartment. She died three days later.

The transport officers involved are being questioned to gather more details about Alston’s escape, Blackwood said. No one has been suspended, he added.

Alston has family and friends who live in the area, and Blackwood said they have been in touch with some relatives, but their cooperation has been “mixed.”

The reward for information leading to his capture was increased from $25,000 to $35,000 following a contribution from the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities said.

While many of the calls from local residents have not been serious, the sheriff’s office has received some tips about Alston being seen in Durham, and a team of investigators has been sent to the area to check them out, Blackwood said.