This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/06/new-york-prison-break-convicted-murderers-escape

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Cuomo cancels Belmont Stakes appearance after New York prison break Murderers used power tools to cut steel wall in New York prison break
(about 5 hours later)
New York governor Andrew Cuomo cancelled an appearance at the Belmont Stakes horse race on Saturday, after two convicted murderers escaped from a maximum-security prison near the Canadian border in upstate New York. Two convicted murderers used power tools to cut through steel walls and escape from a maximum-security prison near the Canadian border in upstate New York.
Cuomo scheduled a news conference later in the day at at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, about 20 miles from the Canadian border. He had been scheduled to be in the winner’s circle at Belmont Park to present the Belmont trophy after a race in which American Pharoah was set to pursue the elusive Triple Crown. In a news conference on Saturday at at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, about 20 miles from the Canadian border, New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the men, 48-year-old Richard Matt and 34-year-old David Sweat, were “dangerous individuals” who escaped through an elaborate plot.
The two escapees, Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, are dangerous and should not be approached, New York state police warned. Cuomo spoke on Saturday after joining law enforcement authorities to trace the men’s escape route. The governor cancelled his scheduled attendance at the Belmont Stakes horse race, in which American Pharoah was due to attempt to complete the elusive Triple Crown.
The two men were unaccounted for during morning bed check, police said. Roadblocks were set up in the area, WIRY-AM reported. Authorities said Matt and Sweat were discovered missing from the prison Saturday morning, during morning bed check. Police said they should not be appraoched. Roadblocks were set up in the area.
Sweat is serving a sentence of life without parole after he was convicted of first-degree murder for killing a Broome County sheriff’s deputy in 2002. Matt is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for kidnapping a man and beating him to death in 1997. Anthony Annuci, the acting state corrections commissioner, said: “A search revealed that here was a hole cut out of the back of the cell through which these inmates escaped.
“They went on to a catwalk which is about six stories high. We estimate they climbed down and had power tools and were able to get out to this facility through tunnels, cutting away at several spots.”
Authorities said there were many questions, including how the men acquired the tools. Annucci said prison authorities were checking to see if any power tools were missing from contractors at the facility.
Major Charles Guess of the state police said more than 200 officers from multiple agencies were searching for the inmates. The search included bloodhounds and aerial surveillance, he said.
Cuomo said the prison break was the first escape from the maximum security portion of the facility since it was built in 1865.
Sweat was serving a sentence of life without parole after he was convicted of first-degree murder for killing a Broome County sheriff’s deputy in 2002. Matt was serving a sentence of 25 years to life for kidnapping a man and beating him to death in 1997.
Sweat is a 5ft 11in white male with brown hair and green eyes, weighing 165lbs, police said. He has tattoos on his left bicep and his right fingers.Sweat is a 5ft 11in white male with brown hair and green eyes, weighing 165lbs, police said. He has tattoos on his left bicep and his right fingers.
Matt is a 6ft white male with black hair and hazel eyes, according to police. He weighs 210lbs and has tattoos including “Mexico Forever” on his back, a heart on his chest and left shoulder and a Marine Corps insignia on his right shoulder.Matt is a 6ft white male with black hair and hazel eyes, according to police. He weighs 210lbs and has tattoos including “Mexico Forever” on his back, a heart on his chest and left shoulder and a Marine Corps insignia on his right shoulder.