An escaped inmate convicted of murder is back in custody after being arrested in Augusta. The arrest ends a search that lasted more than a month and worried many residents.

What’s Happening: The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office announced that Stacy Huggins was arrested Wednesday on the 3200 block of Peach Orchard Road. He was taken to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

What’s Important: The capture brings an end to a public safety concern that began on September 4. That’s when Huggins walked away from a work assignment while staying at the Augusta Transitional Center.

Catch Up Quick: The public was not told Huggins was missing until five days after he disappeared. The Sheriff’s Office said at the time that the Georgia Department of Corrections did not initially tell them about Huggins’ violent criminal history.

  • This delay in notifying the public caused concern in the community.
  • The Sheriff’s Office said it would change its policies to make sure alerts are sent out faster in similar situations.

The Sources: Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Sun Archives.

B.T. Clark
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B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.