Escaped Spalding County Inmate Captured, Wife Arrested for Aiding Escape

The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office reports that an inmate who escaped from a work detail earlier this week has been recaptured following an extensive, multi-agency search across several Georgia counties. His wife, who helped him flee, was also arrested.

On October 15, 2025, at around 3:15 p.m., authorities discovered that inmate worker Justin Scott Woodruff, 39, had walked away from an assigned on-facility work detail. Woodruff was in custody for Violation of Probation.

As the search for Woodruff expanded, deputies and investigators from Butts, Upson, Lamar, and Monroe Counties joined in, checking multiple locations and gathering leads. Their efforts led Monroe County deputies to Woodruff’s wife, Jessica Woodruff, 35, who was taken into custody. During questioning, she admitted that she had picked up her husband and driven him to a residence in Yatesville, in Upson County.

Spalding County investigators, joined by special operations, fugitive apprehension, and STING units, responded to the Yatesville address alongside the Upson County Sheriff’s Office. Residents at the home told deputies that Woodruff had been there but had left on foot shortly before law enforcement arrived.

A multi-agency manhunt followed, including K-9 units from the Georgia Department of Corrections, but after several hours, the search was called off without locating the escapee.

According to Sheriff Darrell Dix, investigators believed Woodruff might return to the house once he thought the search was over. Deputies decided to withdraw from the immediate area but staged nearby, leaving a team hidden inside the residence.

Their instincts proved right. Around 9:20 p.m., Woodruff returned and knocked on the door. When deputies inside confronted him, he tried to run but was quickly taken into custody after a brief struggle in the yard.

Woodruff was transported back to the Spalding County Jail, where he is now in solitary confinement. He faces new charges including Felony Escape, Criminal Damage to Government Property, Theft by Taking, and Obstruction of Officers. Sheriff Dix said additional charges are likely.

Jessica Woodruff was also booked into the Spalding County Jail, charged with Aiding in an Escape, with further charges pending as the investigation continues.

Sheriff Dix praised the coordinated effort of law enforcement agencies, including Upson, Monroe, Butts, and Lamar County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the Georgia Department of Corrections K-9 Unit.

“Everyone that responded worked leads, checked locations, searched, gathered information, responded to tips, and went the extra mile until Woodruff was back in custody,” Dix said.

He added with dry humor, “His goal in escaping was to get back to his wife. Well, he’s not exactly with her, but he’s definitely closer than he was. She’s just down a few hallways, through a few gates, and past several cell blocks — and that’s as close as they’ll be for a long, long time.”