A man who escaped custody Tuesday after being charged in the death of a county sheriff in June during a high-speed pursuit has been captured, officials said.
Laurens County officials have cut off the road to the jail. I'm being told the sheriff will speak with me soon.
Jim Lowery escaped between 11 and 11:30 a.m. while being transported between counties in a prison van, the Laurens County Sheriff's Office told 13WMAZ.
He was found Tuesday night near the Laurens County Jail, after he was spotted in the search area by an aircraft overhead, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced. He was not injured and was taken into custody without incident.
Laurens County and Treutlen County Sheriff officials were searching the area for the escapee, WJCL22 reported.
Better view of the helicopter search for the runaway inmate in Laurens County. @13wmaznews
Lowery had been charged with felony murder in connection with the death of Montgomery County Sheriff Ladson O’Connor in June.
O'Connor was killed when his patrol car crashed during a high-speed chase in pursuit of Lowery and his passenger, Nicole Dixie Best, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
After Lowery crashed his own vehicle, Best was captured right away, but Lowery led authorities on a nearly 12-hour manhunt, allegedly shooting at officers before they were able to detain him.
Officials at the Laurens County and Treutlen County Sheriff's Offices did not immediately return a request for comment.