Fugitive Carter captured in Ochlockonee River

Published 1:26 pm Monday, July 9, 2018

THOMASVILLE — A fugitive law enforcement agencies have been looking for since last week was found in the Ochlockonee River midafternoon Sunday.

Robert Lee Carter was found about 3:15 p.m. under the river’s surface, holding on to a log 150 yards from a Ga. 188 bridge.

People standing along the road applauded, cheered and gave thumbs-ups as law enforcement — with Carter in custody — turned off 188 onto U.S. 19 North to come to Thomasville.

Carter was transported by ambulance to the Thomas County Jail and questioned by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Thomasville police soon after arriving at the Jail-Justice Center.

Carter, 46, 428 Colton Ave., is a suspect in the Thursday assault of a Thomasville woman at the woman’s Sherwood Drive home and in taking an Ochlocknee family hostage Friday.

He is a person of interest in the case of a 70-year-old woman missing from her Thomasville home for a week. The vehicle belonging to the woman, Deanna Shirey, was found in the Frenchtown neighborhood of Tallahassee, Florida, on July 3.

“With him (Carter) being in custody now, our community can be at ease,” said Capt. Maurice Holmes, Thomasville Police Department (TPD) Criminal Investigations Division commander.

Carter was well-hidden in the river, said Maj. Wade Glover, TPD public information officer.

“He is very familiar with the Ocklocknee area,” Glover said. “He was born and raised in that area.”

But Glover said authorities only have half the puzzle with Carter in custody.

“We have (Mr.) Carter,” he said. “We have to locate (Ms.) Shirey.”

A law enforcement command post was set up on a Ga. 188 lawn after Carter was seen about 8 a.m. Sunday. Residents recognized the fugitive from his photo in the Times-Enterprise.

Thomas County Sheriff Carlton Powell said the fugitive’s capture is the epitome of teamwork among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies involved in the manhunt.

The capture was a concentrated effort in an extremely stressful situation, Powell said.

“It was a real cooperative effort,” the sheriff said.

Citizens provided food, ice, beverages and water to law enforcement officers during the search in sweltering heat and humidity.

“It was just overwhelming,” Powell said.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820