Woman charged with helping inmate escape Orange County prison

A prisoner who escaped Monday from the Orange County Correctional Center in Hillsborough was recaptured 24 hours later, and a woman was charged with helping him escape.

William Cooper, 36, who is serving a three-year sentence on a larceny conviction, was taken into custody Tuesday around 7:30 a.m. near Orange Grove Road, according to the Department of Adult Correction. Cooper will be charged with escape and moved to a higher-custody facility, according to DAC.

The Alamance County Sheriff's Office arrested Katie Stitler, 42, and charged her with aiding and abetting the escape, officials said. No other details were provided.

Guards noticed Cooper was missing in a morning headcount Monday at 6 a.m. at the minimum custody correctional facility.

Cooper is a thin, white man who stands six feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes. He is heavily tattooed, with a variety of symbols on his hands, arms, legs, shoulder, stomach, back, chest and neck.

Cooper's criminal record includes previous convictions for assault and breaking and entering dating to 2005. He was scheduled to be released from prison on Dec. 17. 2024.