Authorities Hope To Find Missing S.C. Woman Alive

The search for Alice Donovan, 44, who was abducted from aWal-Mart parking lot on Nov. 14, continued Thursday. Searchers usedhelicopters and foot teams to comb thick, swampy land south ofWilmington.

Authorities believe Donovan could still be alive and tied to atree, the Morning Star of Wilmington reported Thursday.

"She may be in the area somewhere restrained," Hewett said. "Anything is possible at this time."

Hewett said authorities' suspicions that Donovan could be aliveand possibly tied to a tree stem from the suspects' other apparentabduction in Kentucky two days after their jail break.

James Hawkins, of Hanson, Ky., was kidnapped Nov. 5 by two men with aknife and left tied to a tree outside Evansville, Ind., until hefreed himself.

Donovan last was seen at a gas station just off U.S. 17, whereshe stopped with the two suspects in her blue BMW about 4 p.m. Nov.14. That was about 1 1/2 hours after Donovan was abducted from theWal-Mart in Conway, S.C.

The two fugitives have been captured. Chadrick E. Fulks, 25, wasarrested Wednesday. Branden Basham was captured Sunday.

Hewett said Fulks put gas in the BMW, paid at the pump and thenwent into the store to buy something. The sheriff wouldn't saywhose credit card was used to buy the gas or what the suspectbought in the store.

"We know without a doubt that the car, the BMW, then left thisparking lot back out to U.S. 17 and traveled north,"the sheriff said. "We can put thevehicle at least another 14 or 15 miles north of our location now."

"We also know between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. that the two escapeesand the BMW were back in South Carolina," Hewett said. "Whateverthey did here in North Carolina with Ms. Donovan, they didquickly."

Hewett asked the public to call authorities with any informationabout sighting of the BMW, the fugitives or Donovan.