In a major breakthrough, law enforcement authorities successfully apprehended Stacy Lee Drake, a 50-year-old man accused of committing a series of murders across Oklahoma and Alabama. Drake was captured in Morrilton, Arkansas on Thursday morning, after a manhunt spanning several days.

Officers located Drake in the woods, approximately half a mile away from the Motel 6 where he was last seen on Tuesday night. Surprisingly, he was found lying in a hammock. Following his arrest, Drake was promptly taken to the Conway County Detention Center.

The news of his capture was met with relief by the Morrilton community, as Mayor Allen Lipsmeyer expressed gratitude for the police force's unwavering commitment to public safety. Lipsmeyer emphasized the significance of Drake's arrest, highlighting the fact that he was responsible for four killings in the span of two months, all without any reported incidents of harm to bystanders. Lipsmeyer hopes that Drake will be held accountable and prevented from causing any further harm, as he deems him unfit to be free.

Drake's alleged murderous spree began in Alabama, where he is suspected of killing 62-year-old Russell Thomas Andrews on May 14 at an Alcoholics Anonymous building in Tuscaloosa, according to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit. Moving on to Oklahoma, Drake is believed to have taken another life on June 14 in El Reno. The victim, identified as 56-year-old Phillip Emerson, was discovered dead in his home on Macomb Ave. Additionally, Drake abandoned a truck, which was found on E. Redwood Ave. in Sallisaw.

The most recent killings tied to Drake occurred on Tuesday night near Gans on Highway 64. Law enforcement authorities found the bodies of a man and a woman inside a business. The victims have been identified as Tara Barnett Underwood and Taylor Sharp. Underwood, a mother of three children, was engaged to a man who also has three children. Her sister, Tia Barnett, fondly remembered her as a funny and vibrant person.

Following an intensive investigation, one of the vehicles allegedly linked to Drake was discovered at a motel in Morrilton, prompting police to issue an emergency alert across the area on Wednesday morning, urging residents to be vigilant. This alert ultimately led to Drake's capture the following day in the same city.

As the legal proceedings against Stacy Lee Drake proceed, communities across Alabama and Oklahoma can finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the alleged serial killer has been apprehended and no longer poses a threat to their safety.