Sheriff John Ashworth arrived back in DuPray around 6:20 p.m. and entered the station’s main room, noting that the entire staff was present except Ronnie Gibson, who was on vacation. Tim Jamieson was also there. Ashworth noticed a battered boy, Luke Ellis, curled on the waiting room couch and immediately asked who had beaten him.

Tim Jamieson explained that Luke had jumped off a freight train and struck a signal post, causing the bruises. Wendy added that Luke claimed he cut off part of his earlobe with a paring knife to remove a tracking device that kidnappers had implanted. Tag Faraday stated that Luke’s parents had been murdered in Minnesota, a fact Tag had verified, while Bill Wicklow noted that Luke said he had escaped from a place in Maine.

Assessing the unusual situation and Luke’s deep sleep, Ashworth asked for a coherent account. Tim proposed to bring the sheriff up to speed and suggested they watch material on a flash drive he placed on the dispatch desk before deciding next steps. Deputy Burkett recommended contacting police in Minneapolis or the State Police in Charleston to take jurisdiction over Luke.

Ashworth, intrigued, sat down and signaled willingness to proceed methodically. He asked whether Minneapolis police suspected Luke of killing his parents; Tag replied that news reports implied suspicion while remaining cautious due to Luke’s age. Wendy characterized Luke as extremely bright and otherwise a decent kid. Ashworth concluded by requesting a soda and preparing to hear the full briefing and review the flash drive, leaving decisions on custody and outreach to other agencies pending the briefing.