Current:Home > reviewsManhunt enters second day for 4 Georgia jail escapees. Here's what to know. -Streamline Finance
Manhunt enters second day for 4 Georgia jail escapees. Here's what to know.
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:41:08
Georgia law enforcement are on the second day of a search of four men they said escaped from a detention center.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said Monday the inmates escaped from the Bibb County Detention Center in Macon, Georgia, about 84 miles southeast of Atlanta, around 3:30 a.m. on Monday.
He identified the four inmates as Joey Fournier, Marc Kerry Anderson, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, and Chavis Demaryo Stokes.
Authorities have not released further updates as the Bibb County Sheriff's Office works with the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI and U.S. Marshals to locate the inmates.
The Bibb County Sheriff's Office said in an email to USA TODAY Tuesday there's no need for residents to shelter in place and the suspects' route is under investigation.
How did the inmates escape the jail?
Jail staff reviewed video footage where they said the four men escaped from a broken second-floor window and ran through a break in the fence. Staff found a break in the perimeter fence at around 6 a.m., Davis said.
Video footage also showed a blue Dodge Challenger that was outside the jail earlier in the night and appeared to show an individual tampering with the fence, Davis said. The person then brought "some items into the enclosed area of the fence," the sheriff said, adding that authorities believe the items were used to help the inmates escape.
It was not clear whether the four men left the jail in the vehicle seen on the video footage, had gotten into another vehicle, or left on foot, according to Davis. He added that authorities believe the blue Dodge Challenger is involved in the escape and police are on the lookout for the vehicle.
A $2,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the four men.
Escapees accused of homicide, gang membership
Fournier, 52, was arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-girlfriend. An indictment accused him of strangling Cynthia Lynn Berry with a shoelace on Feb. 20, 2022. He faces felonious malice murder, aggravated assault and murder.
He's since pleaded not guilty in the case.
Anderson, 25, has been held since 2020 for aggravated assault for allegedly firing a gun into a person's car and two people's homes, according to Bibb County Superior Court records.
Barnwell, 37, is serving a 15-year concurrent sentence since 2013 for felony violation of Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act and for felonious aggravated assault. He was also detained with 16 other people in a 12-count grand jury indictment for drug charges, according to court records.
Stokes, 29, is being held on charges of possession of a firearm and drug trafficking, along with other misdemeanor charges. He has been accused of supplying illicit items to inmates in February 2020; misdemeanor theft and obstruction charges in July 2021; and this past year, he was accused of obstruction, misdemeanor battery and giving or having prohibited items by inmates, according to court records.
What do the escapees look like?
Davis said investigators don't have any reason to believe the men had any associations with each other outside the jail.
"They could be anywhere," the sheriff said. "But how long they stay together or even if they're together at this point: We don't know."
The men are described to be:
- Fournier is a white male with gray hair and blue eyes and is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
- Anderson is a Black male with dreadlocks who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds.
- Barnwell is a Black male with braids. He is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds.
- Stokes is a Black male with short black hair and is 5 feet, 7 inches tall. He weighs 160 pounds.
Sheriff says county needs a new jail
Davis said Monday the dayrooms are sometimes not locked at night when inmates are supposed to be in bed in another part of the jail.
At the time of the escape, Davis said there were less than 10 people working at the jail which currently has "a little over 800" detainees. According to the sheriff, about 30 people should be working a shift at the jail but they haven't had staffing levels in that range for a "long time."
Davis added that short staffing isn't the only issue at the facility. The escape also occurred in the oldest and most rundown part of the jail, Davis said.
"We need a new jail," the sheriff said, describing the jail as a 43-year-old facility that is "falling down on us."
An internal investigation will determine what led to the escape but several factors are involved, including staffing issues, Davis said.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY.
veryGood! (44613)
Related
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Finding the Antidote to Climate Anxiety in Stories About Taking Action
- The Poet Franny Choi Contemplates the End of the World (and What Comes Next)
- Al Gore Talks Climate Progress, Setbacks and the First Rule of Holes: Stop Digging
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- A first-class postal economics primer
- TikTok’s Favorite Oil-Absorbing Face Roller Is Only $8 for Amazon Prime Day 2023
- Army Corps of Engineers Withdraws Approval of Plans to Dredge a Superfund Site on the Texas Gulf Coast for Oil Tanker Traffic
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Las Vegas could break heat record as millions across the U.S. endure scorching temps
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Kate Hudson Proves Son Bing Is Following in Her and Matt Bellamy’s Musical Footsteps
- The ‘Power of Aridity’ is Bringing a Colorado River Dam to its Knees
- Summer School 2: Competition and the cheaper sneaker
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- As Flooding Increases, Chicago Looks To Make Basement Housing Safer
- An experimental Alzheimer's drug outperforms one just approved by the FDA
- Iconic Olmsted Parks Threatened Around the Country by All Manifestations of Climate Change
Recommendation
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
Illinois Clean Energy Law’s Failed Promises: No New Jobs or Job-Training
Save 46% on the TikTok-Loved Solawave Skincare Wand That Works in 5 Minutes During Amazon Prime Day 2023
Carbon Removal Is Coming to Fossil Fuel Country. Can It Bring Jobs and Climate Action?
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Amid a record heat wave, Texas construction workers lose their right to rest breaks
Andy Cohen Reacts to Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann Calling Off Their Divorce
West Baltimore Residents, Students Have Mixed Feelings About Water Quality After E. Coli Contamination