Accused murderer, escapee Billy Fletcher appears in court

CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Accused murderer and escapee Billy Fletcher appeared in Carter County court Monday morning.

Fletcher appeared in court for a hearing on his escape charge. While in court, Fletcher waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

The Carter County Grand Jury will take up the case on Oct. 4.

Fletcher allegedly escaped the Carter County Detention Center on June 20 when he walked away from work detail . He was captured on July 4 in South Carolina.

Shortly after Fletcher’s alleged escape, Victor Birchfield was reported missing . Fletcher was later seen with some of Birchfield’s possessions while on the run, family members of Birchfield told News Channel 11.

The Carter County Sheriff’s Office reported that after Fletcher was brought back to Carter County, he gave investigators information that led to the recovery of human remains in the Butler area of Johnson County on July 16. While the remains have not been positively identified as of Monday, the sheriff’s office does believe the remains are those of Birchfield.

After his capture, Fletcher was indicted by a Johnson County Grand Jury on several new charges, including first-degree murder in connection with Birchfield’s disappearance . He was also indicted on charges of first-degree murder during the commission of a felony, abuse of a corpse and theft over $2,500 in Johnson County.

Fletcher had been serving a three-year sentence at the Carter County Detention Center for a violation of probation at the time of his escape. He is being held at the detention center without bond until the rest of his unexpired term is completed.

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