ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Investigators have accused three people of hiding a North Carolina suspect who eluded officers for six days and is believed to have kidnapped a missing 68-year-old man.
Authorities told local media Saturday that 40-year-old Jennifer Hawkins and 45-year-old Franklin Badgero Jr. are charged with harboring Phillip Stroupe II in Hawkins’ Barnardsville home Wednesday night. Both are set to appear in court Monday. Warrants are outstanding for a 23-year-old resident of the Buncombe County home.
The search continues for Thomas Bryson of Mills River.
Stroupe was driving Bryson’s truck when authorities found him Thursday. He had been on the run since July 22, when authorities say he stole a bike at gunpoint.
The search for Stroupe closed parts of the Pisgah National Forest for days.
It’s unclear if the suspects have attorneys.
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