Two Golden Triangle men working for the Columbus company North Atlantic Extradition were at the center of a national manhunt this week, when a murder suspect stole their prisoner transport van Wednesday morning.
The suspect, Justin Patrick Welch, was captured in Oklahoma on Thursday.
The incident began when Welch, 26, and four other inmates were escorted to the bathroom at a Van Buren, Ark., rest area, according to a report on the Web site of the television show “America”s Most Wanted.”
At some point during the stop, Lt. Brent Grill with the Van Buren Police Department said, Welch got his hands on a screwdriver-like tool, similar to the kind found in tire-plugging kits, AMW reported.
According to reports, Welch then stabbed one of the guards in the hand. Welch then allegedly beat the guard over the head and grabbed his gun — a standard-issue .40-caliber Glock.
Welch is said to have run back into the bathroom and robbed a trucker occupying one of the bathroom stalls. Welch tried to get his wallet and cell phone, but according to Grill, he was only able to get away with the trucker”s jacket.
Welch then forced one of the other inmates at gunpoint to cuff the trucker to the stall. He gained control of the transport van from a guard, firing at the guard as he fled the van. No rounds struck the guard.
According to reports, Welch sped off, leaving the four other inmates handcuffed in the bathroom, along with the injured guard.
Welch was arrested on I-40 near Sallisaw, Okla., just inside the state line, about 15 miles west of where he escaped.
According to AMW, Welch was apprehended Thursday afternoon. More information on the guards” identities and condition was not available at press time.
In addition to murder charges in Wisconsin for a brutal October 2009 murder, he now also faces charges in Arkansas for escape, aggravated robbery, attempted capital murder, kidnapping, battery and theft of property.
Welch faces murder charges for the alleged murder-for-hire stabbing a Wisconsin woman to death on Oct. 1, 2009.
Welch remained a fugitive for six weeks until authorities caught him at the Mexico-California border near San Diego on Nov. 18, 2009.
Welch remained in the San Diego County Jail until Jan. 10, when he was put in the custody of the North Atlantic Extradition Services, to be transported to Wisconsin to face prosecution for the murder of 39-year-old Kim Smith.
According to police in Oconomowoc, Wis., Welch was paid by Kim”s ex-boyfriend to kill her after a bitter custody dispute surrounding their 4-year-old son.
Kim was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife.
North Atlantic Extradition employs about 35 guards, who are trained through a partnership with the Starkville Police Department. The local company is owned by Tony Mulligan, retired Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office chief deputy.
North Atlantic Security, a private security company, which operates under the same umbrella corporation as North Atlantic Extradition, is housed in the same building and handles security for Lowdnes County School District and other entities.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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