Fatcow Icon
Pickens County manhunt has ended
by Joe Toppe and Billy Cannada

PICKENS COUNTY – After nearly five full days, a manhunt conducted by the Pickens County Sheriff’s office has come to an end.

Escapees Jonathan Dean Moody and Rickylee Charles Eugene Smith have been returned to custody.

Rickylee Smith was apprehended on Sunday afternoon following a telephone call to the Sheriff’s Office.

According to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Rickylee Smith, called a deputy on Sunday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. to turn himself in.

“We stayed right behind him the whole time and one of the deputies received a cell phone call from him and he told the deputy that he was hungry and cold and was tired of running. We sent that deputy out there to pick him up,” Captain Keith Galloway said.

Galloway said that Smith was captured near the Oconee County line and that he had been in the woods since Tuesday.

Both men will face additional charges.

“We served both individuals with warrants for escape, and we are probably going to charge at least two in the jail for aiding and abetting,” Galloway said.

Galloway declined to name any prisoner suspected of aiding and abetting the escapees.

Jonathan Dean Moody had been charged with armed robbery, grand larceny, manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, malicious injury to personal property and receiving stolen goods.

Rickylee Charles Eugene Smith had been charged with first and second degree burglary, grand larceny, petit larceny, simple larceny and simple possession of marijuana.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Smith did not receive any help from friends or family while on the run.

“The family had been quite helpful and tried to do the right thing and encouraging Rickylee to turn himself in,” Galloway said.

According to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the men escaped together.

“About 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night, they were able to compromise a locked door that went out onto the rec yard,” Galloway said. “Both of them are pretty small guys, 5’6, 5’7, 135 and 140 pounds, and they were able to help each other get up the side of the rec yard where there was a small area of fence that had about a foot or so section that had been compromised. I don’t know whether they had been working on that or not, but they were able to squeeze through that little area.”

Jonathan Dean Moody was found less than a mile from the Pickens County Detention Center during a search conducted on Wednesday Nov. 21.

“At about 12 p.m. we left the perimeter with the dogs that we kept through the wee-hours of the morning, but we had deputies keeping the perimeter loose,” Galloway said. “(Right about that time) Jonathan Moody walked out of a small wooded area that was inside the perimeter. One of our guys spotted him and took him into custody.”

Galloway expressed his appreciation for everyone involved in the manhunt.

“We have had teams on the ground since Tuesday. The people have done an exemplary job and I would really like to show my praise for them, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, the Pickens City Police Department, the Liberty City Police Department, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshall’s Office,” Galloway said. I would really like to praise those individuals, those agencies, and especially the guys on the teams, they have been non-stop since Tuesday and kept the pressure on him and its ended in a successful arrest,”

Comments
(0)
Comments-icon Post a Comment
No Comments Yet

News
Easley’s Foothills Playhouse presents hilarious British farce
“See How They Run” keeps pace moving
May 23, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
HAM operators show off new capabilities
PICKENS COUNTY — TriCounty Amateur Radio Group will hold a training event next week to show off some of the new HAM Radio equipment and technologies available. “There are a lot of young operators out there who talk on Walkie-Talkies and we want to let them know about some of the new things ava...
May 23, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Read More News
Sports
Dixie Softball Report
Dixie Darlings Pickens #1 9, Easley Carolina Girls 3 —Jaslin Brooks hit a double and Lupita Reyes had a pair of singles to lead Easley. Easley Carolina Girls 19, Wren 11 — Madison Johnson, Anna James, Jaslin Brooks and Savannah Hall each went 4-for-4 to power Easley to the win. Madison Johns...
May 16, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Little League Baseball and Softball announced the 115 umpires who will be working the nine Little League World Series this summer last week.
Umpires selected for Big League World Series
EASLEY—Little League Baseball and Softball announced the 115 umpires who will be working the nine Little League World Series this summer last week. The Little League World Series schedule kicks of...
May 13, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Read More Sports
Opinion
Dogged Every Step Of The Way
Six-year-old Emily showed up at our house because she was hungry, and she didn’t know where else to go. Her step father had told her to always be out of the house before daylight, and to never come home until after dark. I started feeding her every day, and she became a wonderful part of our liv...
May 20, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
A blast from the past
I’m not much of a car guy, but Friday night I was. This weekend I had the opportunity of joining a massive Pickens crowd at the annual Blue Ridge Fest on Main Street in downtown Pickens, and it was worth the time. I had never been, but this festival rivals most others I have ever attended. ...
May 20, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Read More Opinion
Weather
Sponsored By:

RSS Feeds
All articles feed
News feed
Sports feed
Videos feed
Obituaries feed
Opinion feed
Local Features
The Easley City Police Department located on West Main Street was dedicated in 2002 after leaving its former location in the basement of City Hall.
Community Snapshot
The Easley Police Department
May 18, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
The wrestling team at Easley High School is encouraged to participate in the offseason wrestling club.
Wrestling club enters second year
EASLEY – Young grapplers in the Easley area will now have another opportunity to perfect their skills on the mat as the Limitless Wrestling Club opens its second year. “Limitless Wrestling is a ...
May 09, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Read More Local Features
Poll
Sponsored By:

Prayer at School Board meetings
Mar 04, 2013 | 313217 views | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend | print

Should Pickens County School Board continue sectarian prayer by volunteer students?

View Previous Polls
Special Sections
Living 50+
Azalea Fest 2013