CITIZEN STAFF REPORT

GAFFNEY, S.C. — U.S. Marshals arrested a West Virginia man last week in South Carolina, nearly five years after he allegedly committed murder in Kentucky.

Officers took Charles Ray Blevins, 38, of Williamson, into custody March 31 in Gaffney, South Carolina. Blevins had been wanted in Kentucky since July 2019 for first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He also faced a parole violation in West Virginia.

Authorities said Blevins had previously served time for a 2009 second-degree murder conviction in Cabell County, West Virginia. The state released him on parole in 2019. Just months later, on July 6, 2019, investigators say Blevins fatally shot Adrian Smith near the floodwall and playground in South Williamson, Kentucky. Smith was the boyfriend of Blevins’ sister and the father of her children.

Blevins fled the scene while police issued warrants for his arrest five days later.

The U.S. Marshals Service elevated Blevins to major case status, calling him a significant threat and considering him for the agency’s 15 Most Wanted list. Officials said Blevins often carried firearms, had access to body armor, and had vowed to violently resist arrest rather than return to prison.

Investigators in Kentucky and West Virginia recently discovered that Blevins had traveled to South Carolina and was frequenting a home on the 300 block of Coach Hill Drive in Gaffney. They sent the lead to the Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, which began surveillance. Because of Blevins’ violent history and threats, the U.S. Marshals Service deployed Special Operations Group deputies to assist.

As deputies closed in, Blevins tried to escape out the back door but fell and broke his leg. Deputies arrested him without further incident and transported him to a hospital for treatment.

Blevins remains in federal custody and awaits extradition to Kentucky.