Clay County Inmate Escapes Roadside Work Crew, Apprehended Next Day After Hiding in Woods

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — A trustee inmate at the Clay County Detention Center who absconded from a roadside mowing crew on April 16, 2026, was captured without incident the following afternoon, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Thomas Daniel Ware, 49, was participating in the inmate work crew program when he and another inmate were mowing grass near the Clay County Transfer Station on Hinton Center Road in the early afternoon of Thursday, April 16. While momentarily out of sight around a bend in the roadway, Ware parked the mower and fled on foot. The supervising detention officer noticed him missing within two to three minutes. Ware was not armed at the time.

An intensive search of the area immediately followed, involving officers on foot and in vehicles, as well as aerial drones. Multiple agencies assisted, including the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Towns County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County 911 Dispatch, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and TVA Police. Ware was entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as a wanted person. He remained at large overnight.

On Friday, April 17, Ware was located walking on Downings Creek Road and taken into custody around 2:30 p.m. without incident. He told authorities he had primarily been hiding in a remote wooded area since escaping the previous afternoon.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office emphasized that Ware had been held pending trial on charges not involving threats or injury to others and was approved for the work crew program because he was not considered a risk to the public.

In a follow-up statement, the sheriff’s office addressed the motivation behind the escape. Ware indicated he was trying to see his terminally ill mother. Officials noted that the department routinely makes arrangements for inmates to visit dying loved ones or attend funerals when possible, and they would have accommodated such a request had Ware asked.

“Concerning our escaped then captured work crew inmate, Thomas Daniel Ware, we will always try to make arrangements for our inmates to see loved ones who are terminally ill,” the sheriff’s office stated. “When Ware was captured, he was told we would have made those accommodations if he had only informed us that his mother was terminally ill.”

Officials added that they plan to facilitate the visit after verifying the situation and making appropriate security arrangements. They acknowledged that out-of-state visits can be challenging due to extradition and court coordination issues but said they will do everything within their power to make such visits or funeral attendances happen.

The sheriff’s office thanked the public for their vigilance during the roughly 24-hour search and reiterated its commitment to public safety in operating the inmate work crew program.

Ware has been returned to custody at the Clay County Detention Center.