“When he saw who I was, he floored it,” Lanham said. “I turned around and was in pursuit at a high rate of speed down Johnson Branch Road.”
Walls failed to stop at the intersection with White Oak Road and crashed into the tree in Davis’ yard, about 8 miles southeast of Junction City, and headed for North Rolling Fork River. Lanham was close behind, but Walls ignored his orders to stop.
At least six Kentucky State Troopers, two Boyle constables and Boyle Deputy Dustin Clem joined Lanham in the search. Trooper Donnie Moses eventually tracked Walls to a tangle of tall grass and briars along the creek bank, about a mile from Davis’s home. When he refused orders to come out, Trooper Jeff Stith crawled in after him and took him into custody without further incident.
Walls, 35, of Harrodsburg, was booked into the Boyle County Detention Center on multiple charges, including escape, burglary and multiple counts of wanton endangerment and fleeing police.
Walls was serving an 8-year sentence after being convicted last year in Boyle Circuit Court for a string of seven burglaries and thefts in Boyle, Lincoln and Garrard counties dating back to 2010. He was due to appear before the parole board later this month, according to a press release from the prison, which is managed by Corrections Corp. of America.
Charles Spurlock, a commander at the Lebanon jail, said he wasn’t sure how Walls managed to escape from the facility. Lanham said Walls was able to walk away from an unsecured, minimum security section.
After stealing the truck, Walls first contact with law enforcement came when an unsuspecting Marion County deputy attempted to stop and tell him about a logging chain dragging behind the truck. Walls sped away and the deputy gave pursuit, Lanham said.
Walls next turned up inside a house on Brumfield Road, where he was surprised by the returning homeowner. He left without incident, but asked the woman for directions to Junction City, Lanham said. Clem and Lanham were out patrolling for him when Lanham encountered him in Parksville and gave chase.
After Walls was in custody Lanham gave credit to state troopers, whom he referred to as “the gray gods,” for finally capturing him. Trooper Moses, however, said it was “a total team effort.”
“If it was wasn’t for all of us working together, and some civilians who lent us their four-wheelers, he’d probably still be out there right now,” Moses said.
That would have been bad news for Davis, who was still visibly worked up more than an hour after Walls crashed her pool party of one.
“I’m so glad they caught him,”¿Davis said. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight.”
