RIPLEY – Though he was transported from the Tipton County Jail to the Lauderdale County Justice Complex for his arraignment, Curtis Ray Watson did not appear in the courtroom. Instead, the man who escaped from the West Tennessee State Penitentiary a week ago who is now facing rape and murder charges in the death of prison administrator Debra Johnson, was arraigned by video … [Read more...] about Curtis Ray Watson arraigned, preliminary hearing set for Sept. 25
Public Safety
‘With God’s help they got him’: Homeowners’ tip leads to Curtis Ray Watson’s arrest
RIPLEY – Harvey and Ann Johnson were awakened Sunday morning by an alarm from their Ring camera. It told them someone was in the backyard of their Graves Avenue home. "We pulled it up on the screens so that we could see it in the house," Harvey told reporters during Sunday afternoon's press conference. "He was in the refrigerator." At first they could only see his back, but … [Read more...] about ‘With God’s help they got him’: Homeowners’ tip leads to Curtis Ray Watson’s arrest
Curtis Ray Watson has been arrested in Henning
HENNING – The correctional officer directing traffic on Hwy. 87 West cheered as her coworkers left the command center across the intersection. The large caravan of law enforcement vehicles traveled west, back toward the prison, following the capture of Curtis Ray Watson, the escaped inmate who's been on the run for five days. The Tennessee Department of Corrections said the … [Read more...] about Curtis Ray Watson has been arrested in Henning
VIDEO: TBI, TDOC confirm sighting of Curtis Ray Watson in Henning
Curtis Ray Watson was spotted at a home near Henning early Sunday morning, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Department of Correction announce. Surveillance footage showing Watson – who has now changed clothes and is dressed in camouflage coveralls and a hat while carrying a bag – were taken by a Ring camera at about 3:30 a.m. in the 500 block of Graves … [Read more...] about VIDEO: TBI, TDOC confirm sighting of Curtis Ray Watson in Henning
Investigators search Hwy. 371 in manhunt for Curtis Watson
LAUDERDALE COUNTY – Fugitive Curtis Ray Watson may have been seen in the Cherry community Saturday. Residents say a home near Hwy. 371 was burglarized overnight while the occupants slept, with only food and water being taken. They tell the media law enforcement reported Watson was seen near a wooded area five miles from the prison. On Saturday afternoon the TBI said they … [Read more...] about Investigators search Hwy. 371 in manhunt for Curtis Watson
Curtis Ray Watson still believed to be in the area, reward increases to $57k
On day four of the search for Curtis Ray Watson, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported they believed he's still in the surrounding area. Saturday, the agency said despite receiving 369 tips there have been no credible sightings. The 44-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting and strangling Debra Johnson, a correctional administrator who lived on the West Tennessee … [Read more...] about Curtis Ray Watson still believed to be in the area, reward increases to $57k
These are the 30 other inmates missing from Tennessee prisons
The manhunt for Curtis Ray Watson, the fugitive accused of sexually assaulting and killing a correctional administrator before escaping from the prison in Henning Wednesday, is in its third day but there are 30 other inmates who've been missing a lot longer. Here are the men and women who, according to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, have escaped from the state's … [Read more...] about These are the 30 other inmates missing from Tennessee prisons
‘No credible sightings’: The search for Curtis Ray Watson continues
LAUDERDALE COUNTY – During a news conference Friday afternoon, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Public Information Officer Keli McAlister said there have been no credible sightings of escaped inmate Curtis Ray Watson. More than 250 tips have been reported, McAlister said, and those tips are vetted and investigated by search teams. As the search continues into its third … [Read more...] about ‘No credible sightings’: The search for Curtis Ray Watson continues
