UPDATED: Manhunt continues for Anniston man accused of kidnapping 75-year-old woman

Ashley Morrison, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·3 min read
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Jul. 5—The search for a 47-year-old Anniston man believed to have kidnapped a 75-year-old woman Monday has gone national.

The FBI and U.S. Marshal's Office have been brought into the search, Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade said at an 11 a.m. Tuesday news conference.

Tony Lamar White, who is still at large, is wanted in connection with the abduction of Betty Cobb, Wade said. White is a Black male, 6-foot tall and 200 pounds.

Cobb was found bound with duct tape in White's closet, Wade said.

Law enforcement believe the motive may have been sexual assault, the sheriff said.

They believed this to be a possible motive due to White's job. He currently works as a certified nursing assistant at a local nursing home caring for elderly people, Wade said.

Police believe White chose an elderly woman as she would be "easier to control," Wade said.

White targeted Cobb at a grocery store while she was shopping and followed her to two other stores before following her home, according to Wade. Once at her home, White abducted Cobb, putting her into the back of a vehicle he would later abandon.

White was tipped off that law enforcement was on his trail when a family member called him and asked him, "What did you do?" according to Wade.

Several agencies had a hand in locating Cobb, with "hundreds of people" giving up their Independence Day holiday to amass a search, according to Wade.

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, Anniston Police, Oxford Police, Calhoun County 911 District, Calhoun County EMA, the East Metro Area Crime Center, the Quad City Fire Department and other volunteers worked through the day before Cobb was found inside White's home.

Cobb was in the hospital Tuesday morning for injuries she sustained, which include a laceration to her head where White struck her with the butt of a firearm, the sheriff said.

The sheriff's department is working with Gov. Kay Ivey's office to possibly offer a reward for credible information leading to White's arrest.

EARLIER STORY

10:45 p.m. Monday

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office has issued a multi-agency manhunt Monday evening for a man believed to be a suspect in the kidnapping of a local elderly woman.

Tony Lamar White, 47, of Anniston, is wanted in connection with the abduction of 75-year-old Betty Cobb, who went missing sometime Monday afternoon.

Police issued a missing persons report for Cobb after she vanished from her home on Choccolocco Road in Anniston, leaving her keys and phone on the bed, and her glasses in her driveway, according to the CCSO missing person's report. Some groceries were also found in her driveway.

Off-duty officers and neighbors shortly gathered to begin a search.

The East Alabama Crime Center used videos from the stores where Cobb was believed to have shopped and narrowed down the possibilities to White.

Officials say the two did not know each other and believe White followed Cobb home from the Walmart in Oxford.

After she was found, around 7:15 Monday, she was checked out on the scene by EMS and transported to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation.

White is believed to be on foot around the 4th street area of Anniston, with multiple agencies on the hunt, CCSO stated in a recent release.

In addition to White, police have also issued a BOLO in this case for a silver 2006 Chrysler 300 car with the tag number 11JA702.

Police say if you have any information on the suspect or the car, notify law enforcement and call 911 immediately.

Contact Staff Writer Ashley Morrison at amorrison@annistonstar.com. On Twitter @AshMorrison1105.