Two men charged with kidnapping & holding woman for ransom, trying to kill her with machete

By Aaron Thomas

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    WAKE COUNTY, North Carolina (WRAL) — A manhunt ended Tuesday and two men were arrested after a woman was brutally attacked, kidnapped, trafficked and almost murdered.

Dustin Letchworth, 34, of Zebulon – who was wanted on multiple felony warrants – is now in custody.

Another man – Daryl Maurice Holden, 57, of Wendell – has also been arrested in connection with this incident, WRAL News learned Tuesday morning. Both men are being held at the Wake County Detention Center without bond.

Letchworth and Holden are accused of trafficking and holding the woman in “involuntary or sexual servitude,” as well as forcing the victim into prostitution.

The arrest warrants said she was seriously injured. WRAL News is working to learn the extent of her injuries.

Here is the full list of charges against Letchworth:

Attempted first-degree murder First-degree kidnapping Human trafficking Promoting prostitution for profit Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill

Holden has been charged with the following crimes: Attempted first-degree murder Human trafficking Promote prostitution-profits First-degree kidnapping Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill Attempted first-degree murder Human trafficking Promote prostitution-profits First-degree kidnapping Two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill

Timeline of the search for Letchworth Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 2:30 p.m.

The manhunt began at 2:30 p.m. on Monday when Wake County deputies tried to take Letchworth into custody.

He ran as deputies approached the area of Knollwood Pond Lane near Zebulon.

The sheriff’s office sent out a warning that Letchworth was considered armed and dangerous.

As deputies searched the area around Pearces Road and Dukes Lake Road, residents were asked to stay inside and call 911 if they saw or heard anything unusual.

5:27 p.m.

Deputies were still searching the area around Dukes Lake Road, Pearces Road and Baker Road.

The sheriff’s office said Letchworth was last seen wearing a black hat, green sweater/jacket, brown pants and green shoes.

“If you see Letchworth, do not approach,” the sheriff’s office said.

6 p.m.

The Wake County Sheriff’s Office held a news conference around 6 p.m.

“Anytime some is armed and dangerous, we want to make sure that we keep our community safe,” said Sgt. David Bradford with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office. “It puts us in a serious situation.”

“We want to locate him [and] get him in custody as safe as possible. We believe he’s on foot at this point; that’s the route we are taking right now.”

Sgt. Bradford said the sheriff’s office had K-9 units, helicopters and drones out in the area searching for Letchworth; more than 20 deputies and officers were also searching for him.

This included law enforcement officers from the Zebulon Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service.

“Our number one focus is finding him,” Sgt. Bradford said.

According to court documents, Letchworth had several run ins with law enforcement since 2018, several were related to driving infractions.

“Stay in your house [and] keep the doors locked,” Bradford said. “If you see something suspicious, we’ll respond accordingly.”

7:48 p.m.

The sheriff’s office continued to patrol the area near Ferrell Road and Pearces Road (Dukes Lake Road, Baker Road, Rosinburg Road) in Zebulon.

11:10 p.m.

Letchworth was taken into custody on W. Judd Street in Zebulon. Deputies said he surrendered himself.

He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, human trafficking, promoting prostitution for profit and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

The sheriff’s office said these charges are in connection with an assault that occurred in Wake County on Dec. 31, 2024.

This is an ongoing investigation.

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