A disgraced former North Carolina police chief who faces nearly 90 felony counts stemming from thefts of guns, drugs and cash from the evidence room has been found hiding in a creek after authorities say he tried to fake his own death while free on bond.
William Spivey, 36, who formerly headed the Chadbourn Police Department, was apprehended on Thursday near Loris, South Carolina, four days after he failed to return from a fishing trip on the Lumber river in North Carolina and was reported missing.
Spivey, who is accused, among things, of embezzlement of state property, destroying evidence, obstruction of justice, and trafficking in opium, was scheduled to appear in court this week but never made it.
This is the moment police apprehended fugitive ex-police chief William Spivey, 36, after he was found hiding underwater in a creek in rural South Carolina early Thursday
Spivey was arrested after allegedly faking his own death to avoid facing nearly 90 felony charges related to money, gun and drug thefts
On the day Spivey was due to appear in court, police found his boat abandoned on the Lumber River in South Carolina (pictured). Inside, a suicide note was found
Authorities found Spivey’s boat abandoned on the river and retrieved Spivey’s suicide note. A .22 caliber rifle with a discharged round was located inside the vessel.
‘Investigators quickly concluded that the evidence collected did not support a suicide scenario,’ according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Three days later, the Horry County Police Department received a tip, indicating that Spivey was laying low at his aunt’s apartment outside of Loris.
When officers closed in on the fugitive, police say the former chief fled into nearby woods, where he was ultimately found hiding in a creek.
Dive crews search the river for the missing ex-Chadbourn police chief but could not find him
Brenda Rowele, Spivey’s aunt, said he had been stay with her because he was suicidal
Spivey tried to flee but was caught and arrested after a physical struggle just before 1am on Thursday.
Spivey’s aunt, Brenda Rowele, told WCET that she did not know her nephew had skipped a court appearance and went on the lam.
She claimed that Spivey called her last Sunday, saying he was having martial problems and was suicidal.
Spivey faces 88 felony counts, including embezzlement of state property, destroying evidence, obstruction of justice, and trafficking in opium
Rowele said she urged her nephew not to kill himself and invited him to stay in her home for a couple of nights.
The woman defended the disgraced ex-cop, suggesting that he was being set up by Columbus County law enforcement.
‘I was told different stories, but I do know and I will state to the fact that he is not no drug addict like they say he is. Columbus County cops is doing him wrong,’ Rowele told the station.
In April 2021, Spivey was relieved of duty following a misconduct investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations.
He was ultimately indicted on 88 felony charges, accusing him of stealing thousands of dollars in cash, various drugs and five firearms from the Chadbourn Police Department’s evidence room, which he then allegedly sold to friends and family.
In June, Spivey was accused of embezzling $8,000 meant for a family who lost a son to leukemia.
Spivey was relieved of duty in the spring of 2021 following a misconduct investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations
After spending two months in jail, Spivey was released after posting $500,000 bond.
Last month, Spivey was re-arrested for allegedly stealing catalytic converters from an auto repair shop in Tabor City, where he was employed as a mechanic.
The District Attorney’s Office sought to keep Spivey jailed pending trial, arguing that he poses a threat to the community, but, yet again, he was released.
Spivey was due back in court earlier this month but failed to appear, claiming that he had COVID.
The hearing was rescheduled for Monday, but Spivey again was a no-show. His attorney told a judge that his client was missing and may have committed suicide.
During his time as Chadbourn’s top cop, Spivey allegedly stole money, drugs and five firearms from the evidence room, and embezzled $8,000 from the family of a leukemia patient
After Spivey’s boat was found on the Lumber River, dive crews scoured the waters but did not find his body. K-9 dogs and sonar equipment were used to try and locate the fugitive.
‘As investigators collected video from surveillance systems and conducted interviews, it became even more apparent that the scene on the river was staged,’ officials stated.
Following his dramatic arrest near Loris on Thursday, Spivey, who has 40 outstanding warrants for failure to appear with a total bound amount of $1million, was lodged into the Horry County Jail to await extradition back to North Carolina.
