Captured Georgia inmates make first court appearance

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The two Georgia inmates who were captured Thursday night are making their first court appearance Friday afternoon. Both inmates waived extradition and could be sent back to Georgia at any time.

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Ricky Dubose and Donnie Russell Rowe, who investigators said shot and killed two Georgia corrections officers during their escape on Tuesday morning from a prison van in Putnam County, surrendered near Murfreesboro, Tennessee after law enforcement officials said a day-long crime spree for the pair ended at the end of a gun of an alert homeowner.

Authorities say they began to pursue the suspects unknowingly while responding to an armed robbery call. The inmates allegedly crashed the newly stolen vehicle near mile marker 91 and fled on foot. That is when officials realized they were the inmates that escaped from Georgia.

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"They hit another vehicle and ultimately wrecked," said Rutherford County Sheriff Michael Fitzhugh. "When they did, they bailed out of the vehicle and fled across a wooded area in our county."

Law enforcement officials said Dubose and Rowe performed a home invasion of an elderly couple in Bedford County around 2 p.m. Central on Thursday after ditching their stolen white 2008 Ford F-250, which was taken between 10 and 11 p.m. Tuesday from the Morgan County quarry, in Moore County, Tennessee and stealing another vehicle.

"At that point, your adrenaline takes over. I took off down the road with a gun if you want me to be honest," said local resident and witness Jeremy Littrell. "I loaded a shotgun and took off."

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"There are a lot of things running through your head, and I was like, let's go get the gun and see what we can do. Before I could get anywhere upon them, there were 25 officers out here," said Littrell.

"They were apprehended. They are not harmed. No one is harmed. Long story short, the truck that was stolen here was abandoned in Moore County Tennessee, which is Lynchburg," said Sheriff Sills.

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Tennessee authorities said the pair held the elderly couple hostage for nearly three hours before tying them up and stealing their car. Law enforcement is crediting the ability of the couple breaking free of their bonds and calling 911 with law enforcement being able to put out a BOLO for their vehicles.

No law enforcement officers were injured. Dubose and Rowe were both taken into custody without further incident or injury.

"I'm sorry it ever happened. I'm sorry these people in Tennessee suffered whatever they suffered with, I'm glad they weren't injured but I can assure you they were traumatized by these hoodlums coming into their home. I'm sorry as I can be and my sympathies to the families," said Sheriff Sills.

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