South Carolina fugitive, accused murderer, arrested in Evansville

Houston Harwood, Evansville Courier & Press
·2 min read
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EVANSVILLE — A weeks-long, state-spanning manhunt came to a close Friday night when a U.S. Marshals Service task force in Evansville arrested Johnathan Torell Kelly, who fled South Carolina after he allegedly killed a man in August.

Deputies booked Kelly, 34, into the Vanderburgh County jail just after 11 p.m. Kelly is being held without bond as he awaits extradition to South Carolina.

According to Sheriff Noah Robinson, Kelly had felony warrants stemming from an Aug. 13 slaying. South Carolina law enforcement officials identified the victim as Ronnie Crawford of Varnville, South Carolina.

At the time of Kelly's capture, prosecutors in Allendale, South Carolina, had charged him with felony murder, kidnapping, and weapons violations. By late August, Allendale police had requested the public's help to track down Kelly, who officials described as being "armed and dangerous."

On Friday, a U.S. Marshal Service Regional Task Force comprised of Vanderburgh County sheriff's deputies, Evansville police and the state police learned Kelly may have fled to the Evansville area. That realization followed earlier reports that Kelly had traveled to Lawrenceville, Illinois.

The search in Illinois netted one arrest, but not Kelly's: Officers arrested 29-year-old Evan W. Cave and charged him with aiding Kelly in his flight from the law, according to Lawrenceville Police Chief Jim White.

Kelly would remain on the run until Friday morning when the Evansville Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics unit surrounded a residence in the 2500 block of Pollack Avenue and secured Kelly's surrender, according to Robinson.

"Kelly is lodged at the Vanderburgh County jail awaiting extradition back to South Carolina," Robinson stated in a news release. "All inquiries into Kelly's alleged crimes should be made to the Allendale Police Department."

The Courier & Press left a message with the Allendale Police Department seeking further information about Kelly's alleged crimes.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: South Carolina fugitive Johnathan Torell Kelly arrested in Evansville