Alabama fugitive arrested in Las Vegas waives extradition

Thursday, April 28, 2005 | 9:31 a.m.

A man who escaped from an Alabama jail on March 31 and was arrested in Las Vegas on April 21 waived extradition on Wednesday in Las Vegas Justice Court.

When he was arrested in Nevada, James Darren Harnage was in possession of a gold-colored Ford pickup truck bearing a Texas license plate, and that makes him a suspect in a recent Texas murder, authorities said.

Harnage is alleged to have stolen the truck from the scene of a homicide in Oakwood, Texas. It is unclear what role Harnage possibly played in the April 6 killing of 56-year-old Dennis Courtney in Oakwood, Texas.

It was also unclear this morning what charges Harnage was facing in Alabama and whether he would be extradited to Texas or Alabama.

One of his two fellow escapees, Oscar Roy Doster, was captured in California. Investigators say he was in possesion of a four-wheeler that was also stolen from the same homicide scene in Texas.

Doster has since waived his extradition to Alabama where he is facing murder, assault, robbery, theft and possibly escape from jail charges due to his recent breakout.

Both Harnage and Doster are considered suspects in the Texas murder and are wanted for questioning by police.

A third escapee, Darryl Henry, was captured in Florida shortly after the jailbreak. Henry is not believed to have had any involvement in the Texas murder.