The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call Tuesday night, November 8, around 6:30 p.m. when Bill Russell, 77, of Albany was found outside a residence in Piney Woods with several cuts and lacerations on his person and was in need of medical attention.

Clinton County Sheriff Jim Guffey, who was performing election night duties in Clerk Shelia Booher’s courthouse office when he received the call, said he responded and after arriving on the scene where Russell was, it was apparent Russell had been robbed and assaulted.

Guffey said the story from Russell was that two people had called him and asked for a ride.

After a conversation between Russell and the two others, Russell was pulled from his vehicle and cut and stabbed multiple times.

The Sheriff said that two suspects, were immediately identified from information obtained from Russell, and a search began that eventually crossed county lines into neighboring Cumberland County and later across state lines into Tennessee.

Guffey said Danny Stearns, 55, of Albany, and Lisa York, 52, of Albany, were found and arrested in Clay County, Tennessee, and charged in connection to the assault and robbery of Russell.

Both were allegedly intoxicated at the time of their arrest and charges are pending in Clay County, Tennessee as well as in Clinton County.

According to Guffey, Russell received treatment and more than 300 stitches as a result of the assault.

Russell’s account of the incident stated after he was assaulted, he laid on the ground until he saw headlights coming at him. He rolled out of the direction the vehicle was traveling to avoid getting run over.

“They had called him and asked for a ride and wasn’t real specific on where they wanted to go. They led him out to Bell Camp Road. They had a small conversation and at that time, Danny grabbed him (Russell) around the neck and started cutting on him,” Guffey said. “Lisa (York) was with him.”

Guffey said Russell said he told them during the attack to stop and “you don’t need to do this,” during the altercation.

“They robbed him and got a little less than $40 off him. They took his wallet and his vehicle,” Guffey said. “We started to track them using her cell phone and we picked up their location at Dale Hollow State Park.”

Guffey said once Stearns and York were back on the road traveling, they were apprehended around 11:30 to midnight in Clay County, Tennessee.

“Both were severely intoxicated,” Guffey said. “Myself and David Bookout went down to Clay County, but they were both too intoxicated to interview them at the time,” Guffey said.

Other than the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Guffey said Kentucky State Police Trooper Brian Gibson also assisted in the investigation.

Both Stearns and York are currently lodged in Clinton County Jail and charged with Assault in the first degree, wanton endangerment in the first degree, theft of an automobile and robbery in the first degree, with all charges being felony charges.

Guffey said Clay County, Tennessee will also have charges against both Stearns and York.

Guffey confirmed Stearns’ and York’s bail is set at $25,000 cash bond each.

Guffey said in addition to all the cuts and stitches, Russell also had a broken hand and other injuries.

“He actually walked more than a mile after he was stabbed in order to get help,” Guffey said.