Spraberry Escapes from Cass County Jail - CAPTURED!

A Cass County Jail escapee was captured early Wednesday near Mooringsport, Louisiana after a short chase with Caddo Parish Sheriff’s deputies, according to CPSO Sheriff Steve Prator. 

Prator said parish deputies chased and arrested Spraberry on Louisiana State Highway 169 south of Mooringsport at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. 

Cass County warned neighboring Louisiana law enforcement Wednesday morning to be on the lookout for Spraberry after tracking the fugitive to Caddo Parish. 

Charles Obin Spraberry, 42 and passenger Shea Lynn Smith, 37, of Queen City, were cuffed just after 8 am Wednesday after a short chase with law enforcement in a stolen vehicle. 

“Spraberry was driving a stolen Cadillac SUV that was taken from an unoccupied residence off Highway 8, between Linden and Red Hill, Texas,” said Larry Rowe, Cass County Sheriff. “He is being charged with felony escape, burglary, theft of property, and assault on a public servant,”  

“Spraberry is also a person of interest in an ongoing investigation into a dual homicide in Cass County.” 

Spraberry, who escaped lockup at Cass County Jail late Monday night, was previously incarcerated and facing multiple felony charges, Rowe said, including “sexual assault, assault by strangulation, assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and kidnapping.” 

Spraberry was booked in Caddo Correctional Center awaiting extradition back to Texas. 

Smith, also booked in CCC, will face charges pending investigation, Rowe said. 

Mooringsport is about 18 miles from Shreveport and about a 45-minute drive from the county jail in Linden, Texas where Spraberry sparked a multi-agency manhunt when he fled on foot about 7:45 pm Monday using a shank, or homemade weapon believed to have been crafted from a metal mop handle. 

According to an early CCSO press release, Spraberry produced the weapon before he “jumped a male jailer and made his way to the booking area located at the front of the jail. Spraberry then forced a female jailer to open the door to the outside, and then he ran outside the jail. DPS troopers and Cass County Deputies were dispatched to the jail where a perimeter was established.” 

Spraberry fled in a white shirt and boxers with orange shoes but TDCJ tracking dogs were unable to find a solid trail to follow. He was considered armed and dangerous, according to local officials. 

Tuesday, the search widened with US Marshals assisting, along with Texas Rangers, Texas DPS, Cass County and all local law, regional and state resources and first responders were utilized, according to Cass County Judge Travis Ransom. 

"I know all are anxious for an update but there isn’t much to report,” Ransom said Tuesday morning. “Local, regional, state, and federal law enforcement and first responders all descended on Cass County in the night and are working diligently together. JP1 Barbara McMillon and I were also on scene until late in the night.” 

Ransom told KLTV that the makeshift knife was possibly crafted from the top of a metal mop handle and said the jailer sustained minor injuries, losing his keys in the scuffle before he was able to run into the wooded area behind the jail. 

Spraberry, from Atlanta, Texas, was most recently indicted for several charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and trying to choke a female victim on March 5. According to court documents, Spraberry threatened an individual with bodily harm by brandishing a firearm at the victim, then proceeded to choke the individual. He has also been indicted for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and kidnapping. 

Spraberry previously made news when he was captured in a manhunt on March 24 by the Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office for the above crimes while he was also wanted for questioning in the investigation of a double murder where two bodies were found in a burned-out Camper trailer on March 12 in Cass County.  

He is considered a person of interest in the case at this time but has not been charged in the double murder, officials said. 

Judge Ransom and Sheriff Rowe issued statements on social media praising law enforcement and citizens for their efforts in apprehending the fugitive. 

“I would like to thank Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator and all the law enforcement, first responders, and citizens who assisted in the apprehension and recapture of Spraberry,” Rowe stated.