Man Snagged In Massive Manhunt Headed To Prison

A man who led officers on a high speed chase through rural Houston County almost a year ago was ordered to prison Wednesday on drug charges.  Assistant District Attorney Banks T. Smith said Daryl Gumms received two 25-year sentences----one for manufacturing methamphetamine, the other for selling the illegal drug. 

Circuit Judge Henry "Butch" Binford will allow Gumms to serve the sentences concurrently which, essentially, means a single 25-year prison term.

A manhunt targeting Gumms began after he fled from deputies while riding a motorcycle in southern Houston County.  A few hours later, Gumms was stopped by an Alabama state trooper while driving a pickup truck then believed to be stolen. 

Gumms, 35, pulled a gun on a trooper then fled on foot, becoming the target of a massive manhunt spanning about 12 hours.  The search ended after Gumms, according to investigators, used a gun to force himself into a home near Webb.  The woman who lived there called 9-1-1, and Gumms was taken into custody without incident a short time later.

Charges involving the taking of the pickup and forcing his way into the woman's home were dropped when a Houston County Grand Jury decided not to indict.  No specific reason for the decision was cited, but its likely witnesses failed to cooperate with prosecutors.  Gumms previously pleaded guilty to pulling the pistol of the trooper.