Page 18 - KPA 27 JUNI 2015

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U.S. NEWSSaturday 27 June 2015
At Press Time:
Official: 1 escaped murderer fatally shot, other is on run
J. KEKIS
M. VIRTANEN
Associated Press
MALONE, New York (AP)
— One of two convicted
murderers who staged a
brazen escape from an
upstate maximum-security
prison three weeks ago
was shot and killed Friday
in a wooded area about
30 miles from the prison,
and the other is on the run, ily wooded area in Malo-
an official told The Associ- ne, the focus of the search

ated Press.
An official with knowledge
of the manhunt said Rich-
ard Matt was killed and
David Sweat is still on the
run. The official wasn’t au-
thorized to talk about the
development publicly and
spoke to the AP on the
condition of anonymity.
Matt was spotted by an of-
ficer at 3:45 p.m. in a heav-
New York State Department of Corrections Officers and a forest ranger, left, search an area in
Owls Head, N.Y. for convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat, Friday, June 26, 2015.
Officials announced at press time that Richard Matt was killed by police and David Sweat is still
on the run. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
in recent days, state police Dannemora, near the Ca- chisels and other tools.
nadian border. Prosecutors said Joyce
said. Authorities haven’t re- Sweat was serving a sen- Mitchell, a prison tailoring
tence of life without parole shop instructor who got
vealed details of what led in the killing of a sheriff’s close to the men while
deputy in Broome County working with them, had
to the shooting. in 2002. Matt was serving agreed to be their get-
25 years to life for the kill- away driver but backed
Police have blocked off ing and dismembering of out because she felt guilty
his former boss. They were for participating. Mitchell
roads in the area, which is added to the U.S. Marshals pleaded not guilty June 15
Service’s 15 Most Wanted to charges including felony
about 30 miles (50 kilome- fugitives list two weeks af- promoting prison contra-
ter getting away. band.
ters) west of the Clinton The search for the es- Authorities said the men
caped killers was initially had filled their beds in
Correctional Facility. Offi- concentrated around the their adjacent cells with
prison and a rural com- clothes to make it appear
cers are trucking in flood- munity where search dogs they were sleeping when
had caught the scent of guards made overnight
lights to where Sweat is be- both men. The search had rounds. On a cut steam
since been expanded to pipe, the prisoners left a
lieved to be, not far from neighboring counties, and, taunting note containing
while authorities said there a crude caricature of an
where Matt was killed. was no evidence the men Asian face and the words
had gotten out of the gen- “Have a nice day.”
State Police Maj. Charles eral area, they conceded Clinton County District At-
they could have been al- torney Andrew Wylie said
Guess said earlier Friday most anywhere. they apparently used tools
A civilian worker at the pris- stored by prison contrac-
that the search area had on was charged with help- tors, taking care to return
ing the killers flee by giv- them to their toolboxes af-
shifted slightly northwest ing them hacksaw blades, ter each night’s work.q
after investigators found
evidence left behind by
the escapees. Items were
found Thursday at a cabin
and Friday morning in a
field, both in Malone, he
said.
Matt and Sweat used pow-
er tools to saw through a
steel cell wall and several
steel steam pipes, bashed
a hole through a 2-foot
(0.6-meter)-thick brick
wall, squirmed through
pipes and escaped early
June 6 from the prison in