Officers say they're closing in on murder suspect on the run

CHESTER, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina said Sunday night that they believe they’ve closed in on a man accused of four killings in two states who has eluded police for almost a week.

Officers, dogs, helicopters and drones have searched in woods, neighborhoods and industrial areas for Tyler Terry, 26, since he ran from the wrecked car he was a passenger in last Monday night in Chester County.

On Sunday afternoon, the Chester County Sheriff’s Office said officers were actively pursuing Terry in a wooded area near Highway 9 in Richburg. He ran off there after being spotted and chased by an officer, news outlets reported.

“We are confident Terry is within our perimeter,” the sheriff’s office said on Twitter around 7:40 p.m. “Our perimeter has become thicker and is layered. We are sending teams inside in attempts to find him and force him out.”

About 200 officers were in the area of interest around 11 p.m.

Authorities said Terry fired shots at police during a high-speed chase May 17. Investigators have linked him to a May 2 killing in South Carolina, two killings outside of St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday and two additional shootings in recent weeks.

In this image provided by Chester County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office is Adrienne Simpson, who was arrested Monday, May 17, 2021, in Chester County, S.C., and charged in connection with an ongoing manhunt for a man suspected in several shooting deaths in South Carolina and Missouri. Simpson was arrested after a police chase and eventual crash; the search for Tyler Terry was ongoing. (Chester County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Adrienne Simpson, the 34-year-old woman driving Terry, was taken into custody after crashing following the 30-mile (48-kilometer) chase that reached speeds of 100 mph (160 kph), officials said.

Simpson’s husband, Eugene, was found dead Wednesday in a ditch, Chester County Coroner Terry Tinker said. He had been missing since at least May 2. The sheriff’s office said Friday that Terry and Simpson were charged with murder in his death.

The Chester County Sheriff’s Office advised residents to stay inside, lock their doors, secure firearms and report suspicious activity.

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