Questions remain surrounding juvenile murder suspect who escaped Butner detention center
BUTNER, N.C. (WTVD) -- For the latest on this case, click here.
Authorities searched for more than eight hours before capturing a teenage murder suspect who escaped Monday afternoon from a juvenile detention center north of Durham in Butner.
Granville County Sheriff, Robert D. Fountain Jr., will talk about the incident at a news conference on Tuesday, beginning at 3 p.m.
The Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention said the 17-year-old escaped around 2 p.m. from the Dillon Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Granville County.
Authorities said they were concerned about his safety and concerned about people who may encounter him, saying the teen had a "history of unpredictable behavior."
WATCH | Granville Co. sheriff to address how juvenile escaped Butner detention center
He was taken back into custody at 10:05 p.m. near Range Road and Robert's Chapel Road in Butner.
The Wake County District Attorney, Lorrin Freeman, confirmed to ABC11 that the escaped teen was facing a murder charge in Wake County in the death of 71-year-old Jerry Hicks.
Court documents showed he was transferred to adult court last August but was being held in the juvenile center in Butner without bond.
SEE ALSO | Amid youth crime surge, Wake County DA says juvenile justice system 'needs to catch up'
ABC11 spoke to the suspect's grandfather by phone Monday night. He said he had no knowledge of the escape and that he had not been contacted by any law enforcement.
The teen will be returned to secure custody at a Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention juvenile detention center.
