Tuesday, May 7, 2024
The Coryell County Sheriff's Office, assisted by other law enforcement agencies, continues to search for Brandon Hogan, who escaped from a work detail at Seaton Cemetery on Sept. 26.
Coryell County Sheriff Scott Williams recently held a press conference to talk about the efforts to locate Hogan.
"We have been in the brush for 10 days and at it day after day," Williams said. He described the fugitive as being 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing about 170 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Hogan, 37, escaped from the work detail in an area "he is intimately familiar with," Williams said.
Although a perimeter was formed within a three-mile radius of the location from which Hogan escaped, he has eluded re-capture. The searchers have had the assistance of multiple law enforcement agencies, plus the Flat Volunteer Fire Department, air support from local businessman Gary Heavin, canine units, and drones.
"We have turned over every rock in that end of the county," Williams said. "We investigated a couple of potential sightings and ran those into the ground. We ask people to be vigilant. He could still be here, he could be hurt or dead, or for that matter he could just be gone (from the area)."
Williams, speaking to TV cameras gathered outside the sheriff's office, pleaded with Hogan to turn himself in.
"Mr. Hogan, it ain't too late — I am ultimately responsible for your safety," he said. "You can still turn yourself in. For those who are harboring him, we will hunt you like a dog."
Williams said Hogan was distraught at the time of his escape. He had recently received some bad news regarding additional charges against him, which might have led to Hogan's decision to escape.
"I want to reach out to this community," Williams said. "I am ultimately responsible. I was on vacation when he escaped and I returned immediately" (when learning of the incident).
Williams urged those who might have any information about Hogan's whereabouts to call the sheriff's office at 254-865-7201, or 9-1-1 if they feel it is an emergency.
"(Hogan) may be very desperate at this time, we don't want to take the risk of a citizen getting hurt," Williams said. "We ask people who might have seen him to call with whatever details they can remember."
He said that a victim Hogan had harmed was distraught when she learned of Hogan's escape, but added that the sheriff's department continues to provide protection for her.
The search has been exhausting for employees of the sheriff's office, Williams said. "We've been averaging about two and a half hours of sleep for the men and women of my department, and we won't let up until we find him."
Williams said the people who know Hogan who have been interviewed by law enforcement say that he knew that area of the county well, having been up and down the river in that vicinity and doing land navigation there when he was in the Boy Scouts. He was known to stay out in the woods and brush for extended periods of time.
Initial tracking of the fugitive indicated he fled north before turning east and then going south.
Asked what the sheriff's office will do to prevent similar incidents in the future, Williams said, "I can assure you there are five buffers between me and the work desk. There is a new policy requiring my personal approval on all work crews. This was an absolute mistake — it was a classification mistake (in allowing Hogan to participate as a member of the work crew). We will be investigating when all this is put to bed."
He said the top priority now is the safety of a woman Hogan reportedly hurt, as well as finding Hogan.
"He needs to be treated like he is a very dangerous man," Williams said. "He has a violent history, and desperate people do desperate things. We are asking the public to not engage him, but to call 9-1-1 (if they encounter him)."
Williams said sheriff's office personnel "have gone door to door checking everything from a shack to a mansion." He said those who own property in the area but live elsewhere can call the sheriff's office if they want their property to be checked.
"At one time, we had up to 70 people (searching) in the woods," Williams said. "It's a never-ending thing until he's caught."
Williams said he plans to re-activate the sheriff's posse again to help with searches. He said the posse had been deactivated by the previous sheriff.
"We will start vetting people to be part of the posse for incidents just like this," he said.
