Man faces more time after jail escape

Posted
A Manning man who was in custody at the Clarendon County Detention Center for a bench warrant for simple possession of marijuana now faces up to a year in prison after allegedly escaping from the jail last week. Bobby Childers was charged Sept. 6 with escape from prison or detention center after leaving the jail and leading law enforcement on a two-hour manhunt throughout the downtown area. Police Chief Blair Shaffer said that Childers was found at a home on S.C. 260 near Clarendon Gas. The suspect allegedly told law enforcement that he escaped because he was hungry. “He said that they had food at the jail, but it wasn’t enough for him,” Shaffer said. Childers was able to escape, Shaffer said, due to his role as a trustee at the jail. “A trustee is someone who hasn’t caused problems at the jail, who has been trustworthy and isn’t a violent offender,” said Shaffer. “They can even leave the jail on certain tasks and go work for county offices like the Sheriff’s Office or other facilities doing menial work. But they have to have good behavior and not be violent offenders.” Shaffer said that Childers was working up front near the facility when he took off. Childers was granted a $10,000 cash or surety bond for the charge, but remains in custody at the jail. If convicted, he faces at least a year in prison.