FAIRMONT, NC — Quick thinking and crisis negotiation training by a veteran Columbus County Sheriff’s Office captain helped trigger a multi-agency investigation early Saturday, leading to the safe recovery of two kidnapped children and the arrest of an Alabama murder suspect in nearby Robeson County.
Mason Thomas Parnell, 22, of Winfield, Alabama, is currently being held at the Robeson County Detention Center under a Fugitive From Justice charge pending extradition to Alabama.
According to a media release issued Monday by Columbus County Sheriff W.A. Rogers, the incident began around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, when a CCSO captain was contacted by an individual in reference to Parnell. During the exchange, Parnell disclosed that he had killed his wife at their Alabama home and fled the state with two children.
Utilizing crisis communication and negotiation techniques, the captain established trust with Parnell, keeping him engaged while secretly relaying crucial information to law enforcement authorities in Alabama.
The captain’s disclosure prompted officers with the Winfield Police Department to execute a welfare check at a residence in the 600 block of Tahoe Road in Winfield, Alabama. Upon arrival, officers discovered Parnell’s wife deceased in the kitchen from apparent gunshot wounds.
Investigators determined that after shooting his wife, Parnell abducted the two children and forced another family member at gunpoint to drive them all toward North Carolina. That family member managed to escape safely prior to reaching the final destination and provided crucial intelligence to law enforcement.
While the CCSO captain continued communicating with Parnell to ensure the children’s safety, coordinating agencies tracked the suspect to Harrington Road in Fairmont, N.C. Deputies with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office moved in and took Parnell into custody without further incident. Both children and the kidnapped family member were unharmed.
“This is exactly why training matters,” Sheriff Rogers said in a statement praising his captain’s actions. “When someone is in a crisis and a situation is unfolding this quickly, you have to be able to slow things down, establish trust, and get the information you need to protect innocent people. Our captain did just that. His actions set this investigation in motion… and, most importantly, worked to make sure the children were safe.”
The active homicide investigation is being led by the Winfield Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the 25th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office in Alabama, with assistance from the Columbus and Robeson County Sheriff’s Offices.
All individuals named in this report are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and case statuses may change as investigations and court proceedings continue.
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