James Lee appeared in court in Henderson, Kentucky, today. Two days after the search for Bradley Gillespie ended when his body was discovered in the Ohio River. We look back with Bethany Ulrick at the events surrounding the escape and manhunt.
James Lee appeared in the Henderson County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon, facing charges of fleeing and evading in a motor vehicle and on foot, receiving stolen property of less than $10,000, and two fugitive warrants from Ohio. Lee agreed to waive extradition and his next hearing for those charges will be June 27th. It is unknown when he will be extradited to Ohio.
On Sunday, the Henderson Police Department received a tip around 12:30 p.m. of a body in the Ohio River. A preliminary investigation revealed that the body belonged to convicted murderer, Bradley Gillespie. According to police, the decomposition of the body indicated that he had been dead for several days. Henderson police also said an autopsy was set to begin Tuesday.
The Henderson Police Department had previously received reports that Gillespie had been sighted near the river and the Hays Boat Ramp, and they had also found one of his shoes in the area.
Lee had been captured in Kentucky early Wednesday morning after Henderson police spotted the vehicle the pair stole in Auglaize County. When law enforcement initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle attempted to evade police and crashed. Gillespie escaped on foot, and Lee was arrested.
The inmates were last seen on video at Allen Oakwood Correctional at 8:41 a.m. Monday last week. It was discovered during an emergency head count at 11 a.m. Tuesday that James Lee was not present, and then at 12:45 p.m., prison staff discovered Bradley Gillespie was also missing.
We will continue to provide updates on this story as it develops.
