Law enforcement officials are urging the public to be vigilant as they continue to search for a convicted murderer who escaped an Ohio prison May 23.
Bradley Gillespie, 50, was serving a murder sentence at the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio, when he escaped from the facility along with fellow inmate and convicted burglar, James Lee, according to CBS News. Both Lee and Gillespie were last seen on prison surveillance video May 22, though their absences were not detected until Tuesday, the outlet reported.
Authorities discovered the two men were missing from the facility during two separate counts around noon on the 23rd, prompting the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution to contact both the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) and the Lima Police Department, warden Angela Stuff revealed to WTVG News. (RELATED: Inmates Allegedly Escape Virginia Prison With Toothbrush, Police Recapture Them At IHOP)
A subsequent manhunt led authorities to the border of Indiana and Kentucky on Wednesday morning, where Henderson police officers apprehended James Lee after he crashed a stolen vehicle, the outlet reported. The car’s other occupant, believed to be Gillespie, fled the scene, according to WFIE News.
“We currently have a perimeter set up in the area … and we are using resources we have to locate Bradley Gillespie. We encourage the community to be vigilant, keep their doors locked, and contact 911 if you have any information about his location,” the Henderson Police Department stated in a Facebook press release.
Gillespie was convicted in 2016 of murdering 21-year-old Hanna Fischer and 47-year-old Frank Tracy, WTVG reported.
Authorities have warned that Gillespie should be considered dangerous and have advised residents to call 9-1-1 if they spot him. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) will be conducting an internal investigation into the escape, according to CBS.