Body of man believed kidnapped during manhunt found

ASHEVILLE, NC (AP) – The body of a 68-year-old man believed to have been kidnapped by a North Carolina suspect who eluded officers for six days has been found.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that a member of the Skyland Fire and Rescue Department found the body of Thomas Bryson in a corn field in Arden on Sunday night.

A cause of death hasn’t been determined.

Philip Michael Stroupe II was driving Bryson’s truck when authorities found and captured him in Yancey on Thursday after a search that closed parts of the Pisgah National Forest for days. Authorities believe Bryson was kidnapped Wednesday.

The search for Phillip Michael Stroupe, II closed parts of Pisgah National Forest on July 23, 2017. (Photo: Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office)

Henderson County Sheriff Charles McDonald says Stroupe will likely face murder charges in the coming days, in addition to multiple charges levied in Buncombe, Transylvania, Henderson, Yancey and McDowell counties.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com

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