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Searching for Spears

By Debbie Williams Reporter

Published: Thu, August 21, 2008 - 6:33 pm

Short URL: http://wkrg.com/a/17124/

Debbie Williams

Nearly a month after two inmates escape from the Santa Rosa County Jail, deputies have their first good lead in getting one of them back behind bars.
Ricky Spears escaped July 26th along with his cellmate, David Dixon. Spears was spotted late Wednesday afternoon near his home in Munson. An intensive search is underway in the Blackwater State Forest. Santa Rosa County authorities say they will stay until they get him but locals don't understand what all the fuss is about.
"Most police we've seen up here in a long time."
Ruth's Country Store is the local hangout in Munson, Florida. "This is a laid back community, we don't get this much action." It's also a front row seat to the search for Ricky Spears. "I don't know why there is such excessive law enforcement looking for an escapee that had an affair with a under age child with consent. I don't understand it," says store owner Bobby McCranie.
All day O'Gwynn Smith and McCranie have watched as officers search for a man they've known since he was a child. "He didn't commit a murder or nothing. I know he broke out of jail and he's got other charges but he didn't kill nobody and he ain't no threat to nobody around here."
the search area is full of thick underbrush, lots of places to hide. And the advantage has to go to Spears, he grew up in these woods and knows them like the back of his hand says Santa Rosa County Sgt. Scott Haines. "He can probably run these woods in the dark with his eyes closed better than we can with flashlights and dogs." He says a campsite was found shortly after Spears was spotted. "Tarps, food, cigarettes, empty beer cans, obviously it shows someone has been assisting him."
Smith says most people up here would do the same thing. "I'd help him if he needed some help."
No matter the challenges, deputies vow to stay until Spears is captured and if it ends the way McCranie would like, "I'm hoping that the boy decides I got no where else to go, I'll give up."
That will be fine for all concerned.
Deputies won't say who spotted Spears or exactly where. Family members who are in fear and have requested it, have deputies posted at their homes.
The reward for the capture of Spears and his cellmate David Dixon now stands at ten thousand dollars.