Wanted murder and kidnapping suspect captured after causing lockdown at Jackson County schools

The manhunt for a kidnapped Henry County woman is over after she was found safe and her husband placed under arrest.

Melinda Whitehouse, 34, was located in Mt. Eden area of Shelby County. Terry Whitehouse was arrested off Back Creek Road, also in the Mt. Eden area.

Authorities had been searching for more than 24 hours for Melinda Whitehouse after she and her mother were kidnapped from a home in Eminence Thursday morning by Terry Allen Whitehouse, 37.

"Anytime something like this happens and you put a vehicle description out, we get many many leads. And unfortunately for law enforcement, a lot of those leads are found not to be credible. So we're just glad that this lead today came to a good end," said Sheriff Timothy "Mark" Moore.

The search for Whitehouse led school officials in Jackson County to place the school on lockdown Thursday and preemptively cancel classes Friday. He reportedly had ties to the area.

Terry Whitehouse had been released from the Shelby County Detention Center the day before after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

After releasing his mother-in-law, Terry Whitehouse continued to hold his wife against her will. Melinda Whitehouse’s mother asked for police to check on her husband at the home. It was during that check that Eminence police and Henry County sheriff’s deputies found him dead.

Jackson County schools were on lockdown Thursday after Kentucky State Police say there was a wanted man in the area.

The school's superintendent, Mike Smith, said he was notified that Terry Allen Whitehouse, 37, could be coming to the area.

Smith says they worked closely with law enforcement until school was out. There was never any danger to students or staff.

Our sister station WAVE reported that police told them Whitehouse killed a man and then kidnapped his wife and mother-in-law in Henry County.

Whitehouse had just been released on his own recognizance from Shelby County Detention Center yesterday after being arrested for violating an emergency protection order.

An attempt to locate has been issued for a 2001 white Chrysler Town and Country minivan with Kentucky license 647 FPB. Anyone who sees the vehicle should call the police.

He is considered armed and dangerous.