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3 accused of helping fugitive hide in Pisgah National Forest to appear in court

MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. — Three people charged with helping a man accused of hiding out from police for nearly a week in the Pisgah National Forest will appear in court Monday.

Jennifer Hawkins, Franklin Badgero and Larry Hawkins were arrested Saturday.

The trio claim Phillip Stroupe II, 38, threatened to kill them if they didn't help him.

Stroupe is facing kidnapping and carjacking charges in connection with the disappearance of 68-year-old Thomas Bryson.

Police said Stroupe was seen driving Bryson's car shortly before he was captured Thursday.

Bryson has been missing since.

Crews have extended the search area from all over North Carolina into Tennessee.

[READ MORE: Search for armed man shuts down part of Pisgah National Forest]

Investigators are offering a $15,000 reward for any information that helps them find Bryson.

Stroupe, who had been the focus of a six-day manhunt in the national forest, was captured early Thursday following a chase.

McDowell County sheriff's deputies said Stroupe, of Weaverville was arrested about 1:30 a.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 70 west of Marion in the Pisgah National Forest. Authorities said earlier he was a suspect in a break-in and was believed to be armed.

Sheriff Dudley Greene told WLOS-TV that Stroupe was first spotted driving from Yancey County into McDowell County on state Highway 80. Officers used traffic spikes to end a chase. Greene said Stroupe ran from a vehicle but was arrested.

A spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to messages Thursday morning.

The sheriff says Stroupe was driving a truck belonging to Bryson, of Mills River. Bryson was not with Stroupe when he was captured. Authorities said Bryson was reported missing after he failed to pick up a family member for a medical appointment Wednesday morning. They are still trying to find Bryson.

[RELATED: Businesses, visitors impacted by Pisgah National Forest manhunt]

Stroupe had been released from the Yancey County jail July 20.

He had been on the run since Saturday when authorities say he ran into some woods and escaped by stealing a mountain bike at gunpoint.

The search included hundreds of miles in the Pisgah National Forest. Parts of the forest were closed to visitors because of the search. The U.S. Forest Service had two camps and two roads closed late Wednesday. It was not immediately clear when those areas would reopen to visitors.

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