Manhunt underway for ‘dangerous’ man last seen in SC woods armed with hatchet, cops say
A manhunt for a “dangerous” man is underway in South Carolina, according to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
Landon Major Howell, a 20-year-old Newberry resident, is wanted after escaping from law enforcement officers who were searching for him in the woods, the sheriff’s office said Sunday in a news release.
The manhunt began shortly after midnight Sunday when deputies responded to a 911 call about an individual, later identified as Howell, inside a closed store on Kendall Road, according to the release. That’s near the downtown area and the Newberry Opera House.
When deputies got to the store they learned Howell had been chased into the woods near the intersection with Bush River Road, the sheriff’s office said.
Surveillance footage from the area showed that Howell was armed with a hatchet and other tools, according to the release.
Deputies used a police K-9 from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and searched on the ground and fromthe air, the sheriff’s office said. Newberry Police Department officers joined members of SLED and the sheriff’s office in the search.
Officers on the perimeter of the search spotted a person walking on the railroad tracks and made an approach, along with aerial support, but the person ran into a densely wooded area and was lost, according to the release.
It was later determined that Howell entered an abandoned structure covered in brush and discarded some of his clothing, the sheriff’s office said. The trail dissipated near a highway, leading officers to believe Howell had been picked up, according to the release.
No injuries were reported during the original incident or the search.
The sheriff’s office described Howell as a 5-foot-11, 220-pound man with brown hair and brown eyes.
There are arrest warrants for Howell, who’s also suspected of being involved in a string of crimes along the Kendall Road corridor, and “should be considered dangerous,” the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone with information about Howell, or his location, is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-321-2222, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
Criminal record
Howell was out on bond from a recent arrest when Sunday’s incident happened, Newberry County court records show.
In a March 7 arrest, Howell was charged with second-degree burglary (violent), according to court records. A $25,000 bond was posted March 13, and the charge is pending, court records show.
Howell was arrested three times in Newberry County in 2024, according to court records.
On April 8, Howell was arrested for shoplifting (less than $2,000) and pleaded guilty to the charge, court records show.
On Sept. 25, Howell was charged with second-degree burglary (violent), and pleaded guilty to one count, according to court records.
On Nov. 1, Howell was arrested on third-degree burglary and a drug possession charge, and pleaded guilty to one count each, court records show.
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This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Manhunt underway for ‘dangerous’ man last seen in SC woods armed with hatchet, cops say."
