Sheriff Fraley speaks on missing man, escaped inmate

News Channel 11 livestreamed a press conference held by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. The entire press conference can be viewed below.

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley held a press conference on Tuesday regarding missing man Victor Birchfield and escaped inmate Billy Fletcher .

The CCSO confirmed on Monday the two cases were being investigated as related incidents after Birchfield’s vehicle and Fletcher were spotted separately in South Carolina. Fraley said in a previously released statement that investigators believe the two came into contact after Fletcher’s escape.

“We’re working two cases that we think are connected in some shape, form or fashion,” Fraley said Monday while joined by Chief Deputy Jeremy Brown of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Fraley said the cases were being investigated with the help of multiple local agencies, as well as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and South Carolina investigators.

According to Fraley, investigators have received hundreds of tips regarding Fletcher and Birchfield, and law enforcement has conducted searches.

“At this point, we have conducted ground searches between Carter County and Johnson County,” Fraley said. “We’re continuing to do so.”

“We’re diligently assisting the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement across the area as mentioned,” Brown said. “[We’re] working very diligently to bring both of these cases to a closure.”

While answering questions, Fraley said Fletcher has ties to Johnson County. Brown notified Fraley of those connections early in the investigation, leading to Johnson County’s involvement in the case.

Fraley also confirmed a vehicle tied to the cases was located by law enforcement in South Carolina. As of Tuesday, the CCSO is still working to put a timeline of events together surrounding Birchfield’s disappearance and Fletcher’s escape.

On June 20, Fletcher, 43, allegedly walked away from his work detail at the county detention center . Fraley said on Tuesday that the sheriff’s office has video of Fletcher walking off at roughly 7:07 a.m. According to Fraley, the CCSO began aggressively searching for him afterward.

Fletcher was serving a three-year sentence for violation of probation, originally stemming from an attempted aggravated burglary charge, his criminal record states. He was also previously arrested on an aggravated assault charge in Johnson County in January 2020.

Victor Birchfield, 61, was reportedly last seen on June 19, and the TBI issued a Silver Alert for him on June 22 . According to Fraley, Birchfield was officially first reported missing on June 21, the day after Fletcher walked off the work detail.

Anyone with information regarding Birchfield is asked to contact the CCSO at 423-542-1845 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) advised anyone who sees Fletcher to call 911 immediately and not approach him.

The sheriff’s office is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Fletcher. Fraley said on Tuesday that Fletcher should be considered dangerous.

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