Fugitive in Ticonderoga Knife Attack Captured After Three-Month Manhunt

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A North Country man wanted in connection with a violent knife attack has finally been taken into custody after evading law enforcement for three months. Jacob Sawyer, 29, was arrested on Wednesday in Ticonderoga, New York, where the incident originally took place.

The arrest came after Ticonderoga Police requested support from multiple law enforcement agencies to carry out a warrant. The New York State Police, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tri-County Special Response Team assisted in the operation. Police say Sawyer was located inside a home on Trout Brook Road in Ticonderoga and was taken into custody without incident.

Authorities had been searching for Sawyer since April, when he allegedly stabbed a woman during an attack that alarmed the local community and triggered shelter-in-place orders for residents in the area. The severity of the crime and the lengthy search kept the case active for months.

Authorities also arrested Sawyer’s mother, 49-year-old Sharri Merritt. She has been charged with hindering prosecution. Investigators have not publicly detailed what role she allegedly played in helping her son avoid capture.

Joint Operation

Sawyer now faces several serious charges, including second-degree attempted murder, burglary, and criminal possession of a weapon. He is being held at the Essex County Jail pending his arraignment. Police have not released further details about the stabbing or the condition of the woman involved.

The months-long manhunt had unsettled many residents in Ticonderoga, a small town in Essex County near the Vermont border. The shelter-in-place alerts issued in April highlighted the seriousness of the situation, as police worked to locate a suspect considered dangerous.

Law enforcement officials credited the joint effort among local, county, and state agencies with ending the search successfully. Sawyer or his legal representation has not released any statements yet, and no court date has been made public.

Criminal charges such as attempted murder in the second degree carry significant legal consequences in New York State. While the case moves forward, officials have not indicated whether the investigation is closed or if more arrests could follow.

With Sawyer behind bars, attention now turns to the legal proceedings and whether further information will be made available about the attack or the months he spent on the run. For now, police say the immediate threat to the community has passed.