Authorities give background info on Robeson County murder suspect who spent 18 years on the run
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — The Robeson County Sheriff's Office has provided more information about a murder suspect arrested in California after 18 years on the run.
Omar Gray was arrested nearly 18 years after being indicted by a Robeson County grand jury on May 15, 2007. He was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Patrick Carlton Ashley of St. Pauls.
Robeson County authorities previously said that Ashley was found in his car at about 1 a.m. on July 12, 2006, on McNeil Pond Road near the Lumber Bridge. He was in the backseat, bound and gagged with a gunshot wound to the head.
A nationwide manhunt was launched after Gray's indictment, earning him a spot on 'America's Most Wanted' as well as an Interpol Red Notice, according to the sheriff's office. He was ultimately captured in Los Angeles under the alias 'Timothy Bloxson.'
Gray's true identity was discovered after he was arrested on unrelated charges and fingerprinted during the booking process, the sheriff's office said. A certified fingerprint examiner from the Moore County Sheriff's Office conducted a forensic fingerprint comparison to confirm that 'Bloxson' was indeed Gray.
After he was identified, Gray was extradited to North Carolina, where he was formally arrested on Tuesday by State Bureau of Investigation agents and Robeson County deputies. He remains in custody awaiting legal proceedings.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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