‘Your actions had impact on many people’: Orange County prison escapee, convicted murderer appears in court

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Ramone Alston, the man serving time for murder before he escaped prison custody in Orange County in 2024, appeared in court for the escape on Monday.

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Alston pleaded guilty to the escape before an Orange County superior court judge, as well as addressed the court before he was sentenced.

Alston told the judge he is a “harmless individual” and did not commit any other crimes during his escape. He added that he was trying to receive help, though he didn’t say what for.

CBS 17 previously reported that in August 2024, Alston escaped custody while being transported from Bertie Correctional Institution to UNC Gastroenterology in Hillsborough for an appointment. Prosecutors recalling the day said Alston ran when the transport vehicle doors were open.

“I would like to apologize if they were frightened or harmed in any way,” Alston said. “I did not do this to harm any of you.”

The judge fired back at Alston’s remarks about looking for help. “Your actions had impact on many people,” Judge Alyson Grine said.

As the search began in Orange County, investigators went through surveillance video at Bertie and were able to determine that Alston had a cell phone in the prison. On the cell phone, they discovered he was in contact with his sister and another woman, Jacobia Crisp — who had a romantic relationship with Alston for several months before his escape.

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Crisp’s cell phone location data showed she traveled to the Charlotte area. Charlotte, Kannapolis, and Concord police checked hotels in the area and the names of people who were checked in, according to prosecutors. A witness came forward saying they believe they were in contact with Alston at one of those hotels. In court, it was revealed by prosecutors that a second witness said Alston asked for cigarettes and drugs, and another witness also saw Alston go to a hotel.

According to prosecutors, Crisp’s phone showed she had called the hotel to ask for an extension for the room reservation. Prosecutors said the police went there, confirmed that Alston was there and he was apprehended.

Crisp pleaded guilty in June 2025 to felony offenses of harboring an escapee and aiding an escape from prison. She was sentenced to a minimum of four months and a maximum of one year and two months in prison.

Following Alston’s guilty plea for escaping prison, Judge Grine sentenced him to an additional 20 to 33 months concurrent to the life sentence he was serving at the time of his escape.

His life sentence was for the murder of 1-year-old Maleah Williams on Christmas Day in Chapel Hill.

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