Prisoner driven 150 miles to Hillsborough for medical care despite his connections to Orange County
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>> INVESTIGATORS SAY CONVICTED
MURDERER RAMON ALSTON HAD HELP
IN MAKING HIS ESCAPE NEARLY
36 HOURS AGO, HE GOT AWAY WHILE
ARRIVING AT A MEDICAL
APPOINTMENT IN ORANGE COUNTY
AFTER THE ROUGHLY 3 HOUR RIDE
FROM THE PRISON IN BERTIE
COUNTY.
>> ORANGE COUNTY IS HIS HOME
COUNTY. TONIGHT. WE'RE ASKING
WHY OFFICIALS WOULD HAVE
BROUGHT HIM SOMEWHERE WHERE HE
HAD SO MANY CONNECTIONS.
THE BUREAU INVESTIGATES SARAH
KRUEGER IS LIVE AT THE UNC
MEDICAL FACILITY IN
HILLSBOROUGH, ASKING THOSE
QUESTIONS OF OFFICIAL, SIR.
>> GERALD, YOU HAVE TO THINK
THAT ALSTON STILL LIKELY HAS A
LOT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE.
HE KNOWS THIS AREA VERY WELL.
AND THAT MAY HAVE MADE IT
EASIER FOR HIM. IT WAS HERE AT
UNC HOSPITALS IN HILLSBOROUGH
WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY
AND HE REMAINS ON THE RUN
TONIGHT.
>> MORE THAN 150 MILES. THAT'S
HOW FAR REMOTE ALSTON WAS TAKEN
FROM BERTIE CORRECTIONAL
INSTITUTION TO THIS HOSPITAL
IN HILLSBOROUGH, ACCORDING TO A
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DEPARTMENT
OF ADULT CORRECTIONS, THE
PRISON'S CONTRACT WITH UNC FOR
SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
I ASKED THE DA SEE WHY ALSTON
WAS TAKEN TO A COUNTY WHERE HE
HAS SO MANY CONNECTIONS.
A SPOKESPERSON TELLING ME BY
EMAIL ALSTON WAS RETURNING TO
HILLSBOROUGH FOR FOLLOW-UP CARE
AFTER BEING SEEN THERE
PREVIOUSLY. IT'S COINCIDENTAL
THAT ALSTON IS FROM ORANGE
COUNTY. I FOLLOWED UP ASKING IF
MOVING FORWARD THEY WOULD MAKE
EFFORTS TO ENSURE PRISONERS
ARE NOT BROUGHT TO WHERE
THEY'RE FROM. THE RESPONSE.
HOUSING STATE INMATES CLOSE TO
OR IN THEIR HOME COUNTIES IS
VERY COMMON AS IT FACILITATES
VISITATION WITH FAMILY MEMBERS,
WHICH IS GENERALLY A POSITIVE
REHABILITATIVE INFLUENCE.
I REMEMBER THIS CASE, THE
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
JEFF NIEMANN TRIED THE CASE IN
2018, CALLING IT ONE OF THE
MOST IMPACTFUL OF HIS CAREER.
THE VICTIM, ONE YEAR-OLD MALIA
WILLIAMS WAS PLAYING WITH HER
MOTHER ON CHRISTMAS DAY WHEN
SHE WAS SHOT. SOMEONE WHO WAS
WILLING TO DO SOMETHING AS
DANGEROUS AS WHAT MR ALSTON
DID. THERE'S IT'S.
>> OBVIOUSLY WE'RE CONCERNED
ABOUT WHAT HE IS CAPABLE OF
DOING. HE WARNS THERE ARE MORE
CHARGES WAITING NOT JUST FOR
ALSTON ONCE HE'S FOUND, BUT
ANYONE WHO HELPS HIM. THERE'S
A $35,000 REWARD FOR THOSE WHO
ASSIST IN THIS MAN'S CAPTURE.
THEY'RE A FELONY CHARGES FOR
THOSE WHO ASSIST IN HIS ESCAPE.
>> BODY CAMERAS AND DASH
CAMERAS. THOSE MIGHT HAVE
HELPED ANSWER HOW THAT INMATE
WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY FROM HERE.
SO I ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF
ADULT CORRECTIONS IF
CORRECTIONS OFFICERS HAVE
THOSE. I WAS TOLD THEY DO NOT.
HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT
SPOKESPERSON THAT THERE WILL
BE AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF
THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED HERE
AND BODY CAMERAS MAY BE PART
OF THAT DISCUSSION. SARAH