[11/06/02]Police found the prison escapee they want to talk to about a Sunday homicide, but have charged him only with auto theft.

Larry “Chopper” Ellis, 48, a Vicksburg native who had been at the Mississippi Department of Corrections in Issaquena County since February, was arrested Tuesday afternoon at Dallas and Hugo streets after police received phone tips saying he was near the home of Willie James Horton, who had been found dead in his 616 1/2 Locust St. home Monday morning. Horton, who was 47, was a throat cancer patient who was unable to speak without using a voice synthesizer.

“We plan to question Mr. Ellis concerning the death of Mr. Horton,” said Police Chief Tommy Moffett. “We did a complete manhunt. We quickly set up a perimeter after receiving the tips and K-9 units were brought in from the Mississippi Department of Corrections in Rankin County.”

The search was house-to-house and in cars and wooded areas. Within hours of the finding of Horton’s body by relatives, police said their main suspect was Ellis, whom family members said was an acquaintance of the dead man.

Ellis, serving time on an auto theft conviction, was not due for release until 2006, but escaped a week ago. He had been suspected of coming to Vicksburg, his hometown, because he has family and friends here, police said.

Police said they will charge Ellis with stealing a truck Sunday at Jefferson and Farmer streets, a block and a half northeast of Horton’s home, and continue the homicide investigation. The 1985 Chevrolet was recovered on Military Avenue the same day.

Moffett said Ellis was arrested at about 2 p.m. Tuesday when officers pulled back from the perimeter and Ellis evidently thought the officers were leaving the area.

“The officers were pulling back and Ellis started moving; we had a short foot pursuit and he was taken into custody,” Moffett said.

Warren County Coroner John Thomason said Horton had died early Sunday morning from heart failure resulting from blunt force trauma.

Moffett thanked the public for helping find Ellis.

“We couldn’t have done it so quickly without the help of the community,” Moffett said. “The tips from the community allowed us to (establish a perimeter quickly) and people were so cooperative with officers during vehicle searches.”

Horton’s body has been released to Jefferson Funeral Home.