Asheville -- June 9, 2026: A multi-agency manhunt ended early Tuesday morning in Western North Carolina as two inmates who escaped from the Vance County Detention Center nearly a week ago were taken into custody.
Michael Lewis Miles Jr., 33, and Lishawn Knott, 21, were apprehended without incident at approximately 12:20 a.m. at a residence on Old Farm School Road in northeast Asheville, according to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
A High-Stakes Multi-Agency Operation
The arrests concluded a tense, five-day search that drew in resources from local, state, and federal law enforcement. The coordinated effort included:
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The Vance County Sheriff’s Office
Buncombe County local authorities
The final phase of the operation was executed by the SBI’s Special Response Team, which surrounded the Asheville residence shortly after midnight and took both men into custody without further disruption.
From Henderson to Asheville: A 250-Mile Flight
Miles and Knott had been at large since June 3, following their escape from the Vance County Detention Center in Henderson, North Carolina. At the time of their flight, both individuals were being held on multiple state drug trafficking and firearms-related charges.
Law enforcement officials stated that investigative leads developed over several days systematically pointed tracking teams toward Buncombe County, ultimately isolating the suspects at the Old Farm School Road location.
"The SBI would like to thank all the agencies who have worked tirelessly over the past five days to get these two individuals back into custody," the agency released in an official statement Tuesday morning.
Ongoing Investigation into Timeline and Accomplices
While the immediate threat has been neutralized, several critical questions remain unanswered. Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact methods Miles and Knott utilized to break out of the Vance County facility, nor have they detailed how the pair managed to travel more than 250 miles across the state to Western North Carolina.
Prior to their capture, federal and state agencies had heavily prioritized the search, warning the public that both men were considered armed and dangerous. The intensive pursuit utilized digital billboards across major North Carolina corridors and featured a combined reward of up to $40,000—including a $30,000 sum offered by the FBI—for information leading to their location.
State and local investigators are continuing to examine whether the fugitives received outside assistance or shelter during their five days on the run. Additional charges related to the escape are anticipated as the joint investigation continues.