North Carolina
North Carolina manhunt for escaped murderer ends more than 100 miles away, woman also arrested
Ramone Jamarr Alston, the “Christmas Day Killer” who escaped custody Tuesday morning and ran off into the woods near UNC Hillsborough Hospital, has been recaptured in Kannapolis, North Carolina, authorities said.
Tactical officers arrested him at a hotel on Cloverleaf Parkway around 2 a.m. Friday, according to investigators.
That is more than 100 miles to the west of where he escaped.
NORTH CAROLINA SHERIFF HUNTING ‘CHRISTMAS DAY KILLER’ KNOWS HIM PERSONALLY, WARNS HE HAS ‘NOTHING TO LOSE’
Officers with the North Carolina Prison Emergency Response Team search for escaped inmate Ramone Alston on Wednesday morning, Aug. 14, 2024, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Alston, who was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, escaped on Tuesday morning from UNC Hospitals in Hillsborough as he was being transported from Bertie Correctional Institution to Hillsborough. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“Alston will be charged with felony escape from prison, and is being taken to a high security unit in the state prison system,” a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Adult Correction said in a statement. “There he will resume serving his life sentence for first degree murder and await court appearances for his escape charges.”
Ramone Jamarr Alston was captured after escaping custody. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
Police also arrested a female acquaintance of Alston, Jacobia Crisp, in Alamance County on charges of aiding and abetting a fugitive. Investigators were looking into whether he had help from anyone else and said more charges could be possible.
NORTH CAROLINA MANHUNT LAUNCHED FOR CONVICTED MURDERER WHO ESCAPED ON WAY TO HOSPITAL: SHERIFF
Ramone Jamarr Alston, 30, escaped from the custody of officers from the North Carolina Department of Corrections while being transported from Bertie Correctional Institution to UNC Gastroenterology in Hillsborough to receive medical care. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
Alston, 30, was serving a life sentence for the murder of 1-year-old Maleah Williams, who died of a gunshot wound to the back of the head during a drive-by shooting.
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said earlier this week that he grew up with the escapee’s father and has known him for a long time.
“He was a troubled child, and he’s been involved in criminal activity since he was a juvenile,” he told reporters during a Wednesday morning briefing streamed on Facebook. “He’s extremely cagey. He’s extremely dangerous. And he has nothing to lose.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina was offering $35,000 for information leading to the capture of Ramone Jamarr Alston. Authorities later boosted the reward to $50,000 before a tactical team found him hiding out at a hotel in Kannapolis on Friday morning. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
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Alston was at the wheel and one of two gunmen in a drive-by shooting in Chapel Hill in 2015, according to the News & Observer. They opened fire in an apartment complex, and one of the bullets struck Maleah in the back of her head as her mother held her in her arms.
North Carolina defensive lineman D’antre Robinson plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. He transferred to UNC from Florida ahead of the 2025 campaign.
In his lone season with the Tar Heels, Robinson made 12 appearances. He recorded 39 tackles and a forced fumble. He was also credited with half a sack.
As a true freshman at Florida in 2024, Robinson played in 11 games. He notched 16 tackles, including three for loss, as well as 1.5 sacks.
D’antre Robinson played high school football at Jones (FL), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 267 overall player and No. 27 defensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
This past season was legendary head coach Bill Belichick‘s first at the helm of North Carolina. UNC posted a 4-8 overall record and a 2-6 mark in conference play
In December, Belichick hired former Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to serve in the same role for the Tar Heels next season. In November, there was speculation that Belichick would return to the professional ranks. Alas, the 73-year-old HC quickly squashed those rumors.
“Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies,” Belichick wrote. “Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered.
“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud.”
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Auburn’s latest incoming transfer brings experience and production to what was a position of weakness last season.
Former North Carolina tight end Jake Johnson signed with Auburn on Saturday, a source confirmed to AL.com. Johnson is the third transfer tight end Auburn has signed since the portal opened, joining Jonathan Echols and Xavier Newsom.
Johnson, however, is the most proven of Auburn’s signees at tight end. He brings four years of experience at North Carolina and Texas A&M, catching 16 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown in 2025.
His best season came with the Aggies in 2023, during which he caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he brings versatility to Auburn’s tight end room and may be the best pass catching option.
With Johnson now signed, Auburn’s tight end room is now up to five players, putting the Tigers in a good spot going into the 2026 season.
The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2 and will remain open until Jan. 16. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing transfers here.
Saturday is a monumental game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against the SMU Mustangs last weekend. Boopie Miller and the Mustangs dominated the tempo of the game, leading to a 97-83 win over the Tar Heels.
North Carolina will be hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday night. The Tar Heels enter this contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Wake Forest owns a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.
With that brief preview, let’s take a look at a couple of keys to the game that will be deciphering factors in the outcome of this matchup.
Can North Carolina Bounce Back Defensively?
While speaking with the media on Friday during his press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he saw on film against SMU, and how that will be the main message heading into Saturday.
- “Obviously, disappointed defensively,” Davis said. “It was just a number of things. I mean, it was on transition, one-on-one, not boxing out at times, not talking and communicating the right way, discipline, shot fake, stay down, putting guys at the free throw line. And so, I was really excited about this week not having a midweek game, to actually have practice. To practice on us, as opposed to preparing for Wake Forest until the latter part of the week. So, I felt like it was a perfect time not to have a midweek game, to be able to get to practice and start doing fundamentally the things that have allowed us all year to be a pretty good defensive team.”
Wake Forest’s top offensive weapon is Juke Harris, who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
Last week, the Tar Heels struggled against their opponent’s best player, but Harris and Miller are drastically different players, so North Carolina may be able to contain the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard more sufficiently. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ perimeter defense has to be stellar to win comfortably.
Backcourt Production Has to be Noticeable
We already know that Seth Trimble will do his part, but someone between Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, and Derek Dixon have to step up with an efficient performance. The trio has been extremely underwhelming for the majority of the season, especially Evans and Bogavac.
For Evans and Bogavac to find sustain success and confidence, a strong outing will go a long way in that regard. Saturday is an important game for the Tar Heels’ guard who need to show a sign of life with conference play heating up.
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