ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A man who escaped from a state prison work crew in 2024 and forced a woman to drive him to Asheville has been sentenced to more than three decades behind bars following a jury trial in McDowell County.
Billy Lee Smith, 44, was found guilty Feb. 12 of second-degree kidnapping, breaking and entering, and escape from state prison. Each charge was elevated under habitual felon status. He was sentenced to a minimum of 402 months and a maximum of 520 months in prison.
Authorities said Smith walked away from a worksite at Marion Correctional Institution on Feb. 7, 2024, while on work release from Rutherford Correctional Facility, where he had been serving time as a low-level offender.
After leaving the worksite, investigators said Smith forced his way into a woman’s home in Marion, abducted her and compelled her to drive him to Asheville. He later released the woman unharmed and fled into a wooded area in Buncombe County.
Law enforcement officers from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Asheville Police Department joined the search and ultimately arrested Smith in Buncombe County.
Multiple agencies assisted in the manhunt, including the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
McDowell County Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan said the case required coordination across jurisdictions and praised officers and prosecutors for their work.
“While this was a dangerous situation for our community, I’m proud of the teamwork and dedication shown by our deputies and partner agencies,” Buchanan said in a statement. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the commitment to protecting our citizens.”
Chief Deputy Nathan Mace said the case involved extensive coordination among agencies in McDowell and Buncombe counties.
Smith will serve his sentence in state prison custody.