Three inmates have been caught after escaping a Missouri jail by allegedly cutting holes in the ceiling.
The trio — Christopher Blevins, Matthew Crawford and Lance Stephens — allegedly escaped June 3 from Barry County Jail, CNN reported. Blevins was caught June 8 near Casper, Wyoming, and Crawford was apprehended Monday in Springfield, Missouri, according to Facebook posts from the Barry County Sheriff’s Office.
An update posted late Tuesday on Facebook by the Barry County Sheriff’s Office indicated Stephens was taken into custody in Texas. (RELATED: Sheriff’s Department Looking For Inmate Who Escaped By Pretending To Be Someone Else In Prison)
Matthew Allen Crawford, the 2nd of 3 inmates who escaped from Barry County Jail, was recaptured in Springfield, MO. Lance Justin Stephens remains the only escapee on the run. If you know anything about where Stephens is, call 911 or the Barry County dispatch at 417-847-4911.
— U.S. Marshals (@USMarshalsHQ) June 14, 2022
Stephens was in jail facing charges of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon, and Crawford has a theft-related charge, CNN reported. Blevins has been charged with alleged unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting a lawful stop, according to the outlet.
Two of the inmates shared a jail cell while the third’s was close by, according to CNN. The building being old and having ceilings made of plaster possibly made it easier for their escape, which involved cutting holes in the ceiling, Detective Doug Henry of Barry County Sheriff’s Office said to the outlet.
There was reportedly no evidence to suggest the escape was an inside job. The Barry County sheriff said he was conducting interviews with jail staff and reviewing surveillance footage from the time of the inmates’ escape, ABC News reported June 6.