Suspect escapes, arrested in Plains

by Annie Wooden

and Shannon Brown

A murder suspect from Michigan who escaped custody in Plains on Sunday has been captured and is awaiting transport back to Michigan.

Chadwick Shane Mobley was being transported from Lincoln County to another destination on Sunday when he escaped the custody of the contracted transport company during a stop at Town Pump in Plains just before 10 a.m. Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders said that the transport company left Mobley alone at the Town Pump, where he was able to remove his handcuffs and escape the vehicle. "He is a known conman," Fielders added.

The Sanders County Sheriff's Office alerted the public that Mobley, a homicide suspect, was on the run and recommended residents lock their homes and vehicles as law enforcement searched for Mobley. "Mobley is dangerous and should not be approached," the sheriff's office reported.

The sheriff's office then asked the public for any security footage from residences or businesses in order to determine which way Mobley had fled. According to Sheriff Fielders, deputies from Plains and Thompson Falls responded to many tips given by concerned citizens Sunday evening through Monday late afternoon. "We had between 80 and 90 tips. One good tip the night before (Sunday) was helpful in the search," he said. He stressed that they may not have been able to catch him without it.

Sheriff Fielders said that ironically, Mobley "borrowed" a canoe and rowed across the river on Monday. He ended up by the sludge ponds and Fielders' house on River Road West. "It was a joint effort," the sheriff said, adding that the department had plenty of help and was well organized in their search.

In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office thanked the officers involved in the arrest, including Sheriff Shawn Fielders, deputies Eric Pfleger and Lanny Hensley, detective Ethan Harvey and Plains Police Officer Rob Geenen.

According to the sheriff's office, Mobley was caught in Lincoln County through the help of a citizen there. He was held until the agency with the warrant set up transport, the sheriff's office reported.