Officials search pond, area where escapee was found

Before getting ready for a third day of diving, Columbia County law enforcement officers wanted to see where a woman accused of shooting their co-worker abandoned her stolen truck and kicked off the manhunt.

On Thursday, the Columbia County Dive Team continued searching a pond located less than 20 feet off Wrightsboro Road and about 100 feet from where Tamika Bumpass was captured near Freeman Harris Road.

Dive team members and law enforcement officers walked to where the truck was found and saw where the vehicle broke through a cable barrier and smashed into trees.

"There's one of the tire marks right there," said Columbia County Sheriff's Internal Affairs Officer Keith Cox. "We found one of her socks just past the truck."

Walking pass where the truck was found, the group encountered an abundance of woods but a surprisedly low amount of briar. When Bumpass was captured she was treated for severe ankle scratches.

About 50 yards past the truck is the east bank of the pond. A K-9 unit that was part of the group ran right up to the bank and sat down.

"This is pretty consistent with the way she was running," said Cox, who first spotted Bumpass the night of the shooting.

After looking around some more, the group walked back over the west bank of the pond and dive members began to search for the handcuffs.

The pond - located on the southside of Wrightsboro Road near Squint Road - is owned by P.K Fitzgerald, who also saw Bumpass the night of the manhunt and was one of the first to inform law enforcement officers of her location.

Before getting into the boats, dive team members were given leg shackles similar to those wore by Bumpass. They wanted to know if the metal made a distinguishing noise that would help them separate the shackles from the other pieces of metal.

Martinez Fire Department Captain and Dive Team Chief Mike Chambers said the shackles make the same noise a pocket knife does.

For the rest of the day, the crew waded through the pond hoping the handcuffs that investigators said will help them determine when and how Bumpass was able to get loose of them.

Columbia County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mike Cullinan said they were working that pond because Bumpass said that is where she lost them while swimming from one side to the other.

He added that a search of the wooded area may be in the near future.

"Suspects have a tendency to leave stuff out, add stuff or just telling outright lies," he said.

After hours and working the pond, Capt. Chambers called it day and was told not to continue the search on Friday. He told law enforcement officers he would be more than glad to come back out if they needed him to.

"We searched that pond pretty good," he told one investigator. "I'm just sorry we couldn't find it for you."