Paul Leavy/The Valdosta Daily Times Timothy Blackwelder in a courtroom in the Lowndes County Courthouse during his extradition hearing Wednesday morning. Visible on his kneck are rope burns from his attempted suicide the night before in the Lowndes County Jail.

VALDOSTA — After an unsuccessful attempt to escape from South Georgia Medical Center Tuesday night, a Tampa murder suspect has been extradited back to Hillsborough County, Fla.

Timothy Blackwelder, 24, went before Chief Magistrate Judge Jonie Parker at 9 a.m. Wednesday, after being released from the hospital Tuesday night, and voluntarily waived extradition on charges of murder and armed robbery.

Blackwelder was transported to SGMC after a suicide attempt in his cell at the Lowndes County Jail Sunday, according to Capt. J.D. Yeager. A jail guard reportedly found Blackwelder, who had been on suicide watch, hanging from a vent in his cell after the suspect tore his clothing and wrapped it around his neck. Blackwelder’s first court appearance was originally scheduled for Monday, but was postponed following his suicide attempt.

Lowndes County deputies arrested Blackwelder at a truck stop near Hahira after the vehicle he was driving, which had been reported stolen, was spotted. Blackwelder is accused of the shooting death of George Anthony Stewart Jr., which took place Friday in Tampa. Following the incident, Blackwelder allegedly took Stewart’s wife Brittani at gunpoint and fled in her van to Georgia, according to reports.

Following the arrest, authorities questioned Brittani Stewart and released her to return to her family in Tampa. Brittani, a mother of two, and Blackwelder had reportedly been in an “off and on” relationship, but she had reportedly filed a restraining order against him last month, according to police.