Four-day manhunt ends after Cherokee County kidnapping

CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. (WDEF) — A kidnapping happened over the weekend in Cherokee County, North Carolina, and a manhunt for the suspect ended Monday morning.

The sheriff’s office said two people, Jordan Hedden and Stephanie Neace, were hitchhiking and kidnapped a Cherokee County resident.

Jordan Hedden / Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office

On December 2, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office announced they were searching for Hedden. They had already arrested Neace at this point.

The kidnapping happened on November 30.

A Cherokee County woman picked up Hedden and Neace, when they forced the woman into the backseat of her own car.

Authorities arrested Neace in Georgia, but Hedden remained on the run.

Then on December 2, law enforcement learned that Hedden entered a house in Tennessee with a firearm. The gun was taken from Hedden, and he hitchhiked into Georgia, the sheriff’s office said.

Law enforcement in Union County, Georgia, ultimately arrested Hedden on Monday, after a four-day search.