Suspect involved in hours-long manhunt face kidnapping, attempted murder charges in Wake County
ZEBULON, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two men were arrested and face various charges, including attempted murder and kidnapping, in Wake County. One of the men connected to the alleged crimes was involved in a nearly 9-hour manhunt with the Wake County Sheriff's Office.
The charges stem from an incident reported Dec. 31. Wake County deputies say they received a report about 6 a.m. of an alleged assault that happened in the 7300 block of Hat Walt Lane near Wendell. The victim was taken to a hospital in a private car by someone she knew.
The woman told officers that she was assaulted by two men at a home and held against her will. She had serious injuries, according to the arrest warrant.
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After an investigation, 34-year-old Dustin Letchworth and 57-year-old Daryl Maurice Holden were identified as the suspects and charged with:
- Attempted first-degree murder
- First-degree kidnapping
- Human trafficking
- Promoting prostitution for profit
- Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
What's in the warrant?
Prosecutors said Holden and Letchworth met the victim on Snapchat and they met up at an address listed for Holden to do drugs. According to arrest warrants, the men allegedly forced the woman to have sex with other men for money after she did not pay for her share of the drugs. The two men attacked the victim with a "metal blunt object and machete...with the intent to kill her." It also stated the two kidnapped the woman by "confining the victim, restraining the victim, removing the victim from one place to another, without the consent of the victim, and for the purpose of holding the victim for ransom."
The warrant also states that Letchworth and Holden are accused of trafficking and holding the victim in "involuntary or sexual servitude."
"He's very apologetic. He's very remorseful for this and this entire event at this point in time," Letchworth's attorney, Lee Turner said. "What occurred last night is very close to my house. So I will tell you that, you know, it was it was frightening to know that the helicopters were flying over and so forth. But he was never a threat."
Both men are being held at the Wake County Detention Center without bond. At a court appearance Tuesday, both were denied bond and were ordered to appear in court on Feb. 4.
Turner said his client is a lifelong Wake County resident and has strong community support here. Letchworth's parents and two aunts were in the courtroom Tuesday.
"He grew up in the community of Zebulon. He attended school in Wake County. If you follow his life up to this point, it's it's been a normal, normal life," Turner said. "Military service, very active military service as a Calvary Scout, which is, you know, in he was stationed in Iraq. Some things may have happened over there that may have caused him some issues."
Letchworth served in the Army for five years as a cavalry scout, including a deployment to Iraq.
Turner noted that his client had been extremely cooperative after turning himself in. He also pointed out Letchworth had a minimal criminal background, with no charges related to violence or drugs on his record.
So why did he run?
"That I can't answer, other than just he's never been in trouble before," Turner said. "Apparently, they went by his old residence first and someone there said the deputies are coming by your house. So he was aware they were coming. When they apparently, when they pulled into the yard, he ran out the back door into a wooded area where he just basically hid out for the evening."
Turner also downplayed Letchworth's role in the alleged assault. Holden's attorney has yet to comment on the case. It remains unclear how the two men knew each other.
Manhunt timeline
Jan. 13
Authorities arrested Holden on Monday without incident at his home on Hat Walt Lane.
Around 2:30 p.m., deputies headed to Letchworth's home to serve felony warrants, but he left the home and ran away as they arrived. Turner told ABC11 that his client grabbed a shotgun on his way out. This prompted a manhunt for the suspect, who authorities deemed armed and dangerous.
The search, which lasted about nine hours, continued near Ferrell Road and Pearces Road (Dukes Lake Road, Baker Road, Rosinburg Road) in Zebulon.
Residents were asked to stay inside.
A media briefing was held at 6 p.m. by the Wake County Sheriff's Office.
A little after 11 p.m., Letchworth surrendered to nearby deputies on Judd Street in Zebulon. He also told authorities where to find his shotgun, which he had left in the woods.
His family also voluntarily gave up an additional firearm to law enforcement officials on Monday, Turner said.
"We will sit down with investigators as well as the district attorney at some point and let him provide a statement that will hopefully clarify a lot of things," Turner said.
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