WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016
THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 7A
Jackson escapee captured after 37 years
A Jackson County Correc
tional Institute escapee has
been found living under a
fake identity in London, Ky.
Billy Burchfield, 67, escaped
from the prison in 1979 while
serving a 16-year sentence
for voluntary manslaughter.
The Laurel County Sher
iff’s Department reported
last week that Burchfield has
been arrested and Georgia
plans to extradite. Accord
ing to Laurel County’s The
Sentinel-Echo, Burchfield is
fighting the extradition.
The LCSD received a tip
from Georgia authorities that
Burchfield had been living
under the assumed identity
of a deceased cousin, Har
old Arnold, for 37 years.
When detectives met him
at his East Laurel Road resi
dence on Wednesday night,
he denied being “Burch
field.”
But fingerprint test results
confirmed a match with Billy
James Burchfield, wanted
in Jackson County. He was
arrested and booked in the
Laurel County Detention
Facility.
Burchfield, a Dalton man,
was serving 15 years for vol
untary manslaughter. He
was convicted in Whitfield
County in 1973.
The Sentinel-Echo report
ed Friday evening that
Burchfield was first charged
with the murder after shoot
ing Vera Sue Burchfield. He
later pleaded guilty to volun
tary manslaughter.
Burchfield had been living
in Kentucky for many years
and had operated several
stores in the area, including
a restaurant and food mart.
LCSD’s Gilbert Acciardo
said Burchfield flew under
the radar. He changed his
name, moved to a place
where he wasn’t known and
had no other run-ins with
law enforcement.
“It is almost unbelievable,”
said Acciardo.
Caught twice
Billy Burchfield, a 1979 escapee from the Jackson
County Correctional Institute, was found last week
living in Kentucky. This wasn’t Burchfield’s first
attempt to escape. In 1975, Burchfield left the pris
on, but was found in Detroit, Mich.
The Escape
Burchfield escaped from
JCCI on Oct. 22, 1979, after
leaving a work detail at the
Jackson County landfill that
morning. He asked for per
mission to “relieve himself”
in some bushes and never
returned.
Officers believed he had
someone meet and pick him
up. Bloodhounds tracked
him to a spot where a car
appeared to have turned
around.
Jackson County’s warden,
Larry Freeman, resigned the
same day due to “adminis
trative conflicts.”
Burchfield’s was part of
a string of inmate escapes
reported in Jackson County
in fall 1979. A total of 10
inmates escaped between
Sept. 16 and Oct. 22 that
year.
First Attempt
But that wasn’t the first
time Burchfield attempted to
escape.
He and two other inmates
also fled the prison in 1975.
Law enforcement officials
said they were “dangerous.”
At the time, Burchfield
was 27-years-old and only
two years into his sentence.
He was described as 5’6”
and 152 pounds with black
hair, brown eyes and a dark
complexion.
The trio of escapees was
found in Detroit, Mich., but
fought extradition. Burch
field’s Detroit mug shot
shows a Dec. 24, 1975 book
ing date.
The escape attempt added
another year to Burchfield’s
sentence.
Community Shocked
For 37 years, the Laurel
County community has
known Burchfield as Harold
“Bill” Arnold. Several com
munity members say they
were shocked to learn of
Burchfield’s identity.
“I knew him many years
and he was very nice,” said
Tammy Rush.
Rush lived in Laurel Coun
ty and says her family works
for Burchfield at the Wildcat
Flea Market and restaurant.
“Bill loved children,
never met a stranger and
was well known for his
businesses, gas stations
and cigarette stores,” she
said. “He always had a
smile and greeted you with
a, ‘Hello, how are you.’”
Rush said he had a giv
ing heart and cared for his
wife, who passed away sev
eral years ago after battling
cancer.
“...he stayed with her
through it all. I don’t know
what he done, but I know
deep inside that man was
a wonderful person,” she
said.
Baldwin police make five arrests
The Baldwin Police
Department reports the
recent arrests of five people.
Those arrested and their
charges were:
• Amory Matthew Dan
iel, 22, 6161 Maysville Road,
Maysville, driving with a sus
pended driver’s license. Dan
iel was arrested when the
1999 Nissan Sentra he was
driving was stopped for not
having a tag displayed.
•Anthony Brian Pittman,
38, P.O. Box 732, Toccoa,
outstanding warrant.
•Billy Joe Rice, 39, 148
Spruce Lane, Cornelia,
improper starting of parked
vehicle and driving under the
influence (DUI) of alcohol.
• William Christopher
Coalley, 36, homeless, pos
session of marijuana. Coalley
was arrested on Yonah View
after someone reported a
person smoking marijuana
and drinking in a nearby
yard.
• Heriberto Hernandez
Lopez, 44, 215 Aspen Lane,
Baldwin, driving with a sus
pended driver’s license and
speeding.
Incidents
The Baldwin Police
Department also responded
to the following recent inci
dents:
• a burglary at a Stapleton
Road residence.
• theft by taking at a Chan
dler Heights residence.
•an assist to the Corne
lia Police Department with a
domestic dispute at an Elrod
Street residence.
• an assist to another
agency at a Crane Mill Road
residence.
• driving without insur
ance on Duncan Bridge
Road, where a traffic stop
was initiated on the driver of
a 2014 Toyota Corolla.
•a verbal argument at a
Thompson Road residence.
•a dog complaint at a
Banks Ridge location.
•property damage at the
Valero Gas Station.
•theft by taking at a B.C.
Grant Road residence.
•an assist to the Haber
sham County Sheriff’s Office
at a Burning Brush Road res
idence.
• an assist to another
agency at a South Main
Street, Cornelia, location.
•an improperly parked
vehicle on Jade Haven,
where a disabled truck was
parked in the roadway block
ing traffic.
• found item at a Highway
441 location.
•assistance to the Haber
sham County Sheriff’s Office
with a 9-1-1 open line at a
Garrison Road residence.
The officer reported while
responding to this call said he
stmck a deer with his patrol
vehicle, causing slight dam
age to the front end of the car.
• burglary and theft by tak
ing at McDonald Auto Sales
on U.S. 441, where a 2002
Chevrolet Tahoe and wheels
and tires from a second vehi
cle were reportedly stolen.
• theft by taking at a Mal
lard Pond Circle residence,
where a license plate was
reported missing off a trailer.
Jackson Superior Court
hands down sentences
Recent sentences from Superior Court proceedings in
Jackson County include the following:
• Brandon Maddox, possession of cocaine — $1,000 fine,
three years probation and two years in jail (to be suspended
upon completion of program).
•Brandon Jamal Battle, first-degree burglary — three
years in jail, seven years probation and $1,000 fine. Charges
of possession of a firearm by convicted felon, driving with
out a license and failure to maintain a lane were dismissed.
• Elizabeth Elliott, possession of Schedule II drug, crim
inal trespass and drugs not in original container — $1,000
fine, three years probation and two years in jail.
•Joel Benjamin Heard, theft by taking and criminal
damage to property — $750 fine, four years probation and
restitution.
• Brittany Motes, theft by taking — $1,000 fine, 26 days in
jail and five years probation.
• Madison Colier, possession of methamphetamine and
possession of drug-related objects — $1,000 fine,
GSP charges 2 in Jackson Co.
Dept, of Juvenile
Justice offers tip line
The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice’s (DJJ) intelligence
unit offers a web-based tip line.
Those who want to share information about possible danger
ous, illegal or unethical activities at DJJ facilities may submit infor
mation through the DJJ’s website at www.djj.state.ga.us.
The TIP Line is designed to be an essential security tool where
state employees and the public can submit confidential informa
tion that can impact the safety and security of both detainees and
staff in DJJ’s secure facilities and court Service offices, according
to commissioner L. Gale Buckner.
Agency Intelligence Analysts hope the TIP Form will encourage
the flow of critical inside information from throughout the DJJ
detention system to help reduce criminal activity and unethical
behavior, prevent injuries and save lives. Investigators are specifi
cally hoping to follow-up on tips about illegal gang activity contra
band smuggling and unlawful or unethical staff policy violations.
“Tips can be about all types of relevant incidents or activities
throughout the DJJ system,” Buckner said. “These tips can be sub
mitted completely anonymously or if they want, a whistleblower
can include contact information for follow-up. It’s all up to them.”
The innovative new system is devised so that tips submitted
online will remain confidential and reviewed solely by the DJJ
Intelligence Unit.
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Homer man says neighbor threatened him
The Banks County Sher
iff’s Office recently respond
ed to the report of threats at
a Timberlane Street, Homer,
residence.
A man told officers his
neighbor, whom is up at all
hours of the night revving
his motorcycle and mak
ing noise,” had pointed a
laser at his dogs and said he
was going to kill them if the
complainant didn’t get rid of
them.
The complainant said he
wasn’t sure if the laser was
mounted to a gun or not, but
he wanted to make a report
about the “nonsense.”
Other Incidents
Other recent incidents
reported to the BCSO includ
ed:
•theft by shoplifting at
Walmart, Banks Crossing,
where a female reportedly
took a 36-pack of Bud Light
and walked out the store
without paying.
•animal complaint at a
Highway 198, Carnesville,
location, where a wild boar
had been stmck by a vehicle.
The animal was put down
and removed from the road
way.
• lost tag at a Gallery Drive,
Homer, residence, where
a woman reported the tag
missing from her 2014 trailer.
•damage to property at
Banks County Farm Bureau,
McDonald Circle, Com
merce, where a 2012 Toyota
Camry was damaged by a
stick or rock that was thrown
by a lawn mower.
•damage to property at
Petro Express, Banks Cross
ing, where a man reported a
truck threw a rock that stmck
the windshield of his 2015
Chevrolet Malibu.
•larceny at a Highway
105, Baldwin, residence,
where a man reported that
his step-son had takne his
Fuel Rocky Mountain Bike
and pawned it.
• assist Georgia State
Patrol with an accident on
Cotton Road, Commerce.
The Georgia State Patrol charged two people in Jackson
County last week:
• James Thomas O’Kelley III, 28, 265 Clay Street, Mays
ville, DUI, failure to maintain a lane and possession of an
open container.
• Robyn Louise Saunders, 31, 3186 Baker Road, Gaines
ville, driving with a suspended driver’s license and a safety
restraint violation.
The first time
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