UPDATED: Attempted murder suspect captured in Clay County
News April 17, 2019
HAYESVILLE, NC – Towns County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Crystal LeAnn Carter, an attempted murder suspect in a September shooting, was arrested Tuesday, April 16, in Clay County, NC.
On Saturday evening, Sept. 8, 2018, Towns County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Chatuge Regional Hospital in Hiawassee in reference to a male subject who was brought to the hospital with a bullet wound to the chest. The victim was identified as William Craig Henderson of Young Harris, GA. The victim was air lifted from Chatuge Regional Hospital to another medical facility with a trauma center. The victim remains in stable condition.
Crystal LeAnn Carter
Towns County Sheriff’s Investigators were called to the hospital to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident. Upon investigating the incident, the investigators identified and secured warrants on Crystal LeAnn Carter for the following:
- One Count of Attempted Murder
- One Count of Aggravated Assault
Crystal Carter, upon dropping off the victim at Chatuge Regional Hospital, left driving the victim’s Chevrolet Tahoe. A lookout was placed on the Tahoe and the suspect. The vehicle was found abandoned Sept. 8, in the parking lot of the Marathon station on Highway 75 North in Hiawassee. Investigators determined that Carter left the Marathon station in a red Ford pickup that belonged to the suspect. Investigators, following leads Sept. 9, located the red Ford pickup at a residence in Clay County North Carolina.
Acting on yet another tip, Deputies of the Clay County Patrol Division returned to a residence that had been searched multiple times in the past. Carter was at the residence and taken into custody without incident.
Towns County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) expressed their gratitude for the assistance of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in their “relentless efforts to finally bring a dangerous fugitive to justice.” This is just one more example of our two communities helping each other to keep the fine people of Clay and Towns Counties safe, Clay County Sheriff’s Office stated. Sheriff Deese said, “One of my goals was to develop and maintain the best of relationships between my office and all our neighboring law enforcement. The relationship between Clay and Towns County Sheriff’s Office is the best its ever been and I thank Sheriff Clinton and his staff for that.”
Carter is awaiting extradition to Towns County Detention Center. The GBI is leading the investigation.
UPDATED: Press Release from Clay County Sheriff’s Office
Hayesville, NC – (April 18, 2019) Clay County resident, Joe Tiger, has been charged with a Felony for his part in assisting GA fugitive, Crystal Carter. Clay County Deputies took Tiger into custody Thursday morning without incident as investigators executed a Search Warrant at his residence. Evidence of Crystal Carter’s crime was located and seized from inside Tiger’s home along with Carter’s personal property.
Law enforcement authorities from GA and NC had responded numerous times on tips of Carter’s presence at Tiger’s home. Authorities had spoken to Tiger on multiple occasions and advised him of Carter’s fugitive status.
Carter will be extradited to GA to answer for her 2018 crimes in Hiawassee. Tiger was given a $5000.00 unsecured bond and a 05/06/2019 court date in Clay County for his charges.
2 Comments
A good article on cooporation between law enforcement agencies of bordering states. However, the next to last paragraph posited, what is to me, a retired law enforcement officer of 43 years experience, an incredibly offensive comment: “in their relentless efforts to finally bring a dangerous fugitive to justice.”
I realize this was a self-congratulatory, “atta-boy” back slapping approval for a job well done, for public reading, but, to me as a casual reader, the cooporative law enforcement agencies have already convicted this young girl as a “dangerous fugitive.” She hasn’t even been arrained yet let alone covicted.
No other details were provided that demonstrated she was a “dangerous fugitive.” Maybe the victim deserved to be shot. The world is full of thuggish people who deserve to be shot. She went home where she was arrested. She didn’t flee, according to the article, or try to shoot it out with sheriff’s deputies. She even dropped his “sorry ass” off at the hospital.
You can see how quickly, with the use of only two words, I changed the picture? I don’t know that the victim was anything of the sort, of course but neither do I think the same of that young girl. There’s a story here to be heard but it must be reported honestly.
Too, two photos of her were posted. One a glamor photo and the other, a wholseome looking young woman with a gorgerous smile on her face, kitted out for cool weather. Before opinion ranging articles are published that convict, it’s important for the writers to be ‘fair and balanced’ and not allow personal predjuice to flow onto the pages of the written article.
I wonder if you would feel the same had it been your son this girl shot. She may not be a “dangerous fugitive” but definitely guilty. I am a very close member of this family and do know the facts. She should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
You are no better than the “atta-boy” law enforcement as you refer. Until you know the facts, I suggest you keep your comments concerning whether or not this was deserved to yourself.
This is a prime example of how things get blown out of proportion.
And now for the rest of the story….we will wait to hear the trial!!!