Cops say Donnie Rowe and Ricky DuBose tied up a husband and wife and held them at gunpoint in their Tennessee home.
The capture of two Georgia fugitives accused of killing two prison guards this week has calmed most area residents, but the prisoners have left at least two people terrorized even as they return to their cells.
Not long before authorities tracked them to an area outside Nashville, cops say Donnie Rowe and Ricky DuBose tied up a husband and wife and held them at gunpoint in their own home.
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According to Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing, Row, 43, and DuBose, 24, on Thursday entered the unnamed couple's Shelbyville home after their car broke down nearby.
"They wrestled with the man and took control of him," Swing told WSMV. "They said they put guns to both of their heads."
For three hours, the couple endured the threats and angry demands of the fugitives, all while believing their lives could end at any moment.
Swing said Row and DuBose ate a beef stew the woman had prepared, took the man’s boots and clothing, and some jewelry.
By 5 p.m., the fugitives left the home and stole a black Jeep, cops say. The couple was then able to untie themselves.
"Somehow the couple broke free and notified authorities and that was absolutely critical," Josh DeVine with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations told reporters.
The home invasion led authorities to hunt down the Jeep, which they reportedly discovered driving down I-24 and engaged in pursuit.
Rowe and DuBose reportedly then crashed the Jeep before fleeing into the woods.
The pair was eventually captured in the rural community of Christiana, Tennessee, according to Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Nelly Miles, thus bringing a multi-day manhunt that spanned multiple states to a close.
A hefty reward had been offered for information leading to the arrest of the prison-breaking duo who fled custody after two Georgia prison guards were overpowered and murdered.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills had announced Thursday the reward had been upped to $130,000.
In a statement, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal praising those involved in capturing the men.
"Rest assured, justice will be served. My sincere thanks to our local, state and federal law enforcement officers who assisted in the manhunt," Deal wrote.
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Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Greg Dozier also released a statement.
"We are relieved to know that these two dangerous individuals have been taken off the streets, and the public is out of harm's way," said Commissioner Dozier. "They will be brought to justice swiftly for their heinous crime against our Officers."
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