Two Harnett County escapees back in custody

The two convicts who escaped from a state prison in Harnett County and are suspected in the beating of a Lillington disc jockey were back in custody today.

Police said Anthony Pinchbeck was captured in Robeson County about 6:30 p.m. Sunday. William Rodney Bass, 27, turned himself in to Nash County authorities about six hours later.

Two Robeson County sheriff's deputies found Pinchbeck sleeping in a pickup truck outside the small town of Lumber Bridge about 10 miles south of Fayetteville. Pinchbeck was not armed and surrendered peacefully, chief of detectives Mark Locklear told The Fayetteville Observer-Times.

The truck in which he was found had not been reported stolen, authorities said.

Pinchbeck was captured after the sheriff's department received an anonymous tip that a man matching the description of one of the inmates was in the area.

Pinchbeck, 24, was taken to Central Prison in Raleigh.

Bass, with his lawyer accompanying him, turned himself in to Nash County deputies shortly after midnight.

The inmates escaped Thursday morning while working on a minimum-security cleaning crew outside of the Harnett County Correctional Institution in Lillington.

Police and prison officials said they believe the two inmates were responsible for an attack on a Lillington disc jockey. The two are suspected of using a crowbar to bludgeon the Rev. Anthony Brock at Christian radio station WLLN before stealing his wallet and car.

Pinchbeck was serving a 10-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and breaking and entering. He was scheduled to be released in March 1999.

Bass was serving a 14-year sentence for breaking and entering. He was scheduled to be released in July 1998.

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