William Anthony Spivey: Former NC police chief faked his death to dodge felony charges
Former North Carolina police chief William Anthony Spivey was arrested on Thursday for faking his death in an attempt to dodge prosecution on more than 80 felony charges. He was the subject of a missing person search along the Lumber River this week and was arrested in Horry County, South Carolina on Thursday morning, reports WECT News.
The 36-year-old skipped a court hearing and staged his own suicide, but was caught hiding at his aunt's apartment in Loris, South Carolina. According to the Columbus County Sheriff's Office, Spivey was located at his aunt's residence on Watson Heritage Road in Loris. Reports indicate that he was trying to hide, submerged in a creek behind the apartment when the police spotted him. Spivey tried to run away and put up a struggle but was taken into custody at approximately 12:45 am.
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Spivey was reported missing on February 21, after failing to return from a fishing trip in the Lumber River. Investigators located his boat abandoned in the river and the vehicle he was driving at the boat landing. "Anthony was not that type of person. He was honest. I'd trust him with my life, I'll tell you that much. People have a tendency to...when they read the papers or any type of media, in general, they believe it. It's all alleged. He hasn't been convicted," said Spivey's family member Dean Sasser.
Friends and family thought Spivey was dead based on the letters he left. "It didn't really hit until I saw my truck and I saw the boat where it was located, He had left a letter in the truck to all of us... saying his goodbyes. It's devastating," Sasser told WWAY. When the authorities spoke to Spivey's friends and family, they described the incident as a possible suicide. Handwritten letters were collected at the scene, along with the boat that contained a .22 caliber rifle with a discharged round still inside. Investigators concluded that the evidence did not support a suicide scenario.
Search and rescue crews conducted searches for three days, and after collecting videos from surveillance systems and conducting interviews, it became apparent that the scene on the river was staged. On February 23, warrants were issued for Spivey's arrest, as he failed to report to the court.
"The agencies went to an apartment complex on Watson Heritage Road in Loris, SC. Spivey ran from the complex and was quickly apprehended in a wooded area behind the complex. He was arrested without further incident around 12:45 am, on February 24, 2022. Spivey was transported to J. Ruben Long Detention Center by Horry County Police. William Anthony Spivey currently has 40 outstanding warrants for Failure to Appear. Each warrant has a bond of $25,000.00 for a total bond of $1 million dollars. This investigation is ongoing. Additional charges and arrests are likely," read the statement by the Columbus County Sheriff's Office.
"Former Chadbourn police chief William Anthony Spivey, 36, is in custody after a crime tip and community partnership led to his overnight location on Watson Heritage Road near Loris. Last Spring, Spivey was relieved of duty due to a misconduct investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations. He was ultimately faced with over 70 felony charges, including evidence mishandling, drug trafficking, and embezzling," the Horry County Police Department said in a statement.
Spivey's aunt Brenda Rowele disputes claims that she was harboring a fugitive. She said she didn't know her nephew had missed a court appearance. Rowele added that he called her Sunday night, saying he was having marriage problems and was considering suicide. She told him not to kill himself and let him stay with her for a couple of nights. Rowele claims she was shocked when authorities showed up at her apartment looking for him. "I was told different stories, but I do know and I will state to the fact that he is not no drug addict like they say he is. Columbus County cops is doing him wrong," she said.
Spivey has faced multiple criminal charges after being arrested in April 2021, accused of repeatedly raiding the Chadbourn Police Department’s evidence room, and stealing a variety of narcotics, and thousands of dollars in cash, and firearms. In June, Spivey was also charged with embezzling $8,000 meant for a family whose son died following a battle with leukemia. As per WECT News, Spivey managed to post a $500,000 bond to get out of jail while awaiting trial on those charges in August.