A convicted murderer who escaped from prison has been on the run for more than 24 hours, with police saying that they currently have “no concrete leads.”
On Tuesday, 30-year-old Ramone Alston escaped from a van in North Carolina after being transported to a local hospital. Alston, who was serving a life sentence in prison for murder was being taken to the UNC Gastroenterology hospital in Hillsborough for a medical appointment.
“He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods,” the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections said in a press release.
On Wednesday morning, Orange County Emergency Services director Kirby Saunders spoke about the situation during a press conference and said that officials initially used dogs to find Alston’s tracks. However, Saunders noted that the scent went cold and the dogs were unsuccessful.
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood told the press conference that officials currently have “no concrete leads” on Alston’s whereabouts but noted that the U.S. Marshals Service is currently assisting in the search. According to Blackwood, authorities have used helicopters to scan the area where he escaped and police have received numerous tips in the past 24 hours.
This photo, from the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, shows 30-year-old Ramone Alston, a convicted murderer who escaped from prison on Aug. 13, 2024.
North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections/North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections
“He’s extremely cagey, extremely dangerous, and he has nothing to lose,” Blackwood said during the press conference.
Alston received a life sentence for murder in 2018, in connection with the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Maleah Williams, who was killed on Christmas Day in 2015. Williams was playing outside of her parents home when she was shot from a passing car. Williams was pronounced dead three days after the shooting.
Since then, Alston has been serving his life sentence at the Bertie Correctional Institution in Windsor.
During the press conference, Blackwood also noted that the officers involved in the transport of Alston are currently being interviewed. However, none have been suspended as of Wednesday morning.
Police have continued to receive numerous tips on Alston’s possible whereabouts, including one that noted him being seen in Durham. Blackwood said that teams have been sent to the area to search.
On Tuesday morning, the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections announced a $35,000 reward for Alston’s capture, increasing from $25,000.
“A $35,000 reward is offered as local, state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies are continuing the search for convicted murderer Ramone Alston, 30, who escaped from the custody of state corrections officers Tuesday morning while arriving for a medical appointment in Hillsborough,” the agency said.
Secretary Todd Ishee of the NC Department of Adult Correction said, “There is someone out there who knows where Alston is.”
“We hope that this reward will bring them forward with the critical information that leads to Alston’s capture,” Ishee added.
