SLED Charges Three Persons in Beaufort County for Harboring a Fugitive

In a recent turn of events in Beaufort County, The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has charged three individuals on accounts of harboring an escaped convict. Kalynn Jade Cloud (age 20), Amani Nekwan Vaughn (age 30), and Guy Frank Talley III (age 27) are the persons who have been charged, according to a SLED spokesperson statement.

Findings Of The Case

SLED spokesperson Renée Wunderlich informed that Jacksonville Sheriff’s deputies discovered the escaped convict, referred to as 29-year-old Jaquan Duvall Barnes, earlier on July 7. Subsequently, Barnes was extradited to South Carolina, and he was charged on July 11 with grave offenses including human trafficking of a minor, two counts each of second-degree and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and unlawful escape.

Arrest warrants obtained reveal that Barnes was undergoing trial procedures and awaiting his sentence at Jasper County Detention Center, when he employed the use of tools and a pre-arranged escape strategy to breakout. The warrants further indicate that the three individuals—Cloud, Vaughn, and Talley—provided shelter to Barnes at Talley’s residence in Beaufort around June 9 or June 10.

Updates and Charges:

The trio were taken into custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center. As of yet, booking photographs are not available for public viewing on the jail’s online platform.

Community Impact and Recent incidents

This incident marks yet another significant case regarding convicted individuals managing to escape jail custody and finding protection from unlikely quarters. There is absolute necessity for stricter measures to prevent escape attempts and fostering an atmosphere of vigilance amongst the community about the seriousness of these crimes.

Investigation Continues

As we gather more information on this developing story, it’s clear that further investigation will shed more light on the matter, especially the circumstances that allowed Barnes to escape the detention center.