NC inmates captured in Asheville after days-long search face felony charges for jail escape

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has captured two escaped Vance County inmates who disappeared nearly a week ago.

Michael Miles and LiShawn Knott were captured without incident after authorities surrounded a home in the Asheville area on Old Farm School Road around 12:20 a.m. on Tuesday, SBI said. 

The men, who were booked in the Buncombe County jail, were being held on drug trafficking and gun charges before their escape. They now face additional felony charges for escaping jail.

A photo shared by law enforcement shows the inmates in handcuffs when they were captured more than 200 miles away from where they escaped.

Officials said they located the pair after a joint investigation involving the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

"The SBI would like to thank ALL the agencies who have worked tirelessly over the past 5 days to get these two individuals back into custody," SBI said.

Officials are still investigating what happened before, during, and after the inmates' escape. A first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.

On June 3, the two made the break from Vance County Detention Center, where they were being held on multiple drug trafficking and gun charges.

"Lock your vehicles, close your garage doors and lock up your sheds," the sheriff's office warned.

Last Thursday, the FBI joined the search, sponsoring digital billboards with photos of the two and advertising a reward worth up to $40,000.

Video from inside the jail showed 33-year-old Miles and 21-year-old Knott were sprinting down a hall ahead of their escape.

Investigators said the first two days after an escape are often the most crucial.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame said the men devised an escape plan and had help from others as they fled. Authorities had been tight-lipped about the investigation to avoid tipping off the escapees and anyone who may be helping them.

"I know you want to hear details about the manhunt, but we can’t talk about what we are doing," said Brame. "We don’t want Miles and Knott to hear what we know about their movements. They planned their escape in advance, they were picked up nearby, and they are being helped while they are on the run, said Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame. "We are making significant progress to find them and to identify anyone and everyone involved in their escape. To anyone who knows where they are now, who assisted or supported them, now is the time to turn them in before anyone is hurt. I want everyone in my community to be safe, every law enforcement officer to be safe, and I want these escapees to be captured safely."

The Vance County Sheriff's Office, FBI, SBI and Henderson Police Department were all involved in the search, combing through surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses, family members and known associates in an effort to track the men down.

For some, the escape did not come as a shock.

“It’s just something I’ve lived with for so long, so I’m not worried about it,” Tracey Dalton told WRAL News. “I know not to open my door.”

Dalton said she hoped she never came face-to-face with either escapee. But if she did, she said she was ready to defend herself and her family.

“Protect yourself,” she continued. “Get whatever you have to get to protect yourself. If they try to come in, get them out the best way you can.”

A problem-ridden jail

Inspection records obtained by WRAL Investigates note broken or missing locks, defective doors, insufficient supervision rounds and holes in walls at the Vance County Jail.

Sheriff Curtis Brame has pushed county commissioners to invest in a new facility for years.  

According to preliminary design documents shared with commissioners, a new 300-bed detention center will cost the county more than $70 million. Previous estimates were around $55 million.

“If we do that …we have no choice …that's another eight-cent [property] tax increase in order to meet the needs,” Vance County Commissioner Leo Kelly Jr. said during Monday night’s meeting.

Vance County leaders have not selected a new site yet.

The county is working to secure a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the project.

In addition to its structural concerns, a Vance County jail supervisor was accused of raping an inmate in April. During a January county commissioners meeting, Brame said the detention center was “scrambling” and “hurting" and that he worried for officer and inmate safety.