Crime & Public Safety

Escaped Georgia inmates, members of prison gang recaptured, officials say

By Chelsea Prince
Aug 1, 2019

Two Georgia inmates and alleged members of a white supremacist prison gang have been recaptured after escaping a work detail Wednesday, authorities said Thursday.

Zachery Glenn Rampley was taken back into custody around 2:30 a.m. in Dalton, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections. He was captured without incident.

James Rodney Owenby was apprehended hours later around 9:15 a.m. According to the Department of Corrections, he was captured in Whitfield County, too.

Rambley and Owenby, both considered by corrections officials to be members of the Ghost Face Gangsters, left their detail in Upson County around noon Wednesday. Thomaston police said they stole a city work truck to make their escape, which prompted a large-scale manhunt.

RELATED: 2 Ghost Face Gangsters escape inmate work detail in Georgia, steal city truck

In reference to the escaped Spalding County Correction inmates it has been determined that the escapees stole a City of...

Posted by Thomaston Georgia Police Department on Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Both have served one prior stint in prison, according to state prison records. Owenby was convicted of first-degree burglary in Gordon County and spent about 15 months behind bars, while Rampley was convicted of obstruction and several driving-related crimes in Gordon County, netting him nearly five months in prison.

Owenby, who is serving a sentence for second-degree burglary and theft by taking in Murray County, isn’t set to be released until September 2022, records show. Rampley was convicted on several crimes in Bartow County, including aggravated assault, obstruction and criminal trespass. He was set to be released in April 2022.

James Rodney Owenby
James Rodney Owenby

According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Ghost Face Gangsters is one of the nearly 100 white supremacist prison gangs operating in the United States. The group originated in California in the 1970s, but a founding member started the Georgia group in 1998.

RELATED: Who are the Ghost Face Gangsters?

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About the Author

Chelsea Prince is reporter and coach on the breaking news team.

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