Escaped murder suspect, 13, shows up at uncle's house in leg shackle

LUMBERTON, N.C. — A 13-year-old accused of killing two people and escaping from custody on Tuesday is back behind bars.

The teen's uncle, Wayne Lambert told our sister station, WTVD, the teen showed up at his house still wearing a leg shackle and a pair of socks.

The juvenile, identified as Jericho W., had been on the run since Tuesday morning.

Lambert said Jericho spent hours hiding in the woods before he finally arrived at his home. The boy's uncle took him in, fed him and let him take a shower before calling authorities.

"When I see him, I say, 'Baby, you know what we got to do?' Lambert told WTVD. "He said, ‘Daddy, I don't want to go back.' I said, ‘No you don't, baby, and daddy don't want to carry you back. But you are going to have to go.' I said, ‘Do you understand me?' He said, 'Yes sir.'"

Officials said Nikki Jacobs, the mother of Jericho W., turned him over to U.S. Marshals Service where he was transferred back to a juvenile detention center.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Marshals Service announced a $1,500 cash reward for information that led to the boy's capture. He was at a courthouse on Tuesday when he disappeared.

Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said the escape happened when a DPS transport team took three juveniles from their facility to court. They were placed in a holding room together, and when a staffer opened the door, one escaped out of the facility and into a wooded area.

In addition to the two murder counts, Jericho was also facing a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon.

The Department of Public Safety said Jericho was considered a threat to the public because of a "prior history of assaultive and unpredictable behavior."

Jericho, who is from Lumberton, was one of two people arrested Oct. 17 for a double homicide which happened two days earlier. He and Derrick Deshawn Hunt, 19, also of Lumberton were arrested and charged in the deaths of brothers Frank and Adam Thomas.

After the arrest, Wilkins said the killings had a "drug component to it."

Associated Press