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| Search continues as New York prison escapees spotted in border town | Search continues as New York prison escapees spotted in border town |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of police set to searching homes, forests, swamps and fields in upstate New York on Wednesday, hunting for two killers who escaped a maximum security prison four days ago and have remained at large ever since. | |
| Related: New York prison break - how two murderers escaped | Related: New York prison break - how two murderers escaped |
| In Dannemora, the tiny village seated in the shadow of the 170-year-old Clinton Correctional Facility, investigators have began searching homes, state police major Charles Guess said. | In Dannemora, the tiny village seated in the shadow of the 170-year-old Clinton Correctional Facility, investigators have began searching homes, state police major Charles Guess said. |
| Guess said that the searches “are not the result of a new lead” but rather “retracing steps made early in the investigation”. | Guess said that the searches “are not the result of a new lead” but rather “retracing steps made early in the investigation”. |
| Beau Duffy, a spokesman for New York state police, said law enforcement officers have received hundreds of tips since the escape of Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, on Saturday night. | Beau Duffy, a spokesman for New York state police, said law enforcement officers have received hundreds of tips since the escape of Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, on Saturday night. |
| Since Matt and Sweat chiseled through their cell wall with power tools and clambered through pipes and sewers out to freedom in the town, investigators have for days interviewed uniformed and civilian employees and residents of the town. A spokesman for the Civil Services Employees Association said most of the about 150 civilian employees who work at the prison have been interviewed. | Since Matt and Sweat chiseled through their cell wall with power tools and clambered through pipes and sewers out to freedom in the town, investigators have for days interviewed uniformed and civilian employees and residents of the town. A spokesman for the Civil Services Employees Association said most of the about 150 civilian employees who work at the prison have been interviewed. |
| Earlier this week, New York governor Andrew Cuomo echoed many investigators’ suspicions that the inmates were assisted by someone who provided them the tools and possibly a cellphone, but police have not ruled out the possibility of Matt and Sweat acting alone. | |
| At least one civilian employee has drawn special notice from law enforcement for reportedly having known the prisoners from her work in the prison’s tailor shop, which Matt and Sweat would have had access to due to their good behavior and residence on the prison’s “honor block”. The woman was questioned by police, officers confirmed. | At least one civilian employee has drawn special notice from law enforcement for reportedly having known the prisoners from her work in the prison’s tailor shop, which Matt and Sweat would have had access to due to their good behavior and residence on the prison’s “honor block”. The woman was questioned by police, officers confirmed. |
| Related: Woman questioned over New York prison break amid sprawling manhunt | Related: Woman questioned over New York prison break amid sprawling manhunt |
| On Saturday night, she was treated at Alice Hyde Medical Center, hospital spokesperson Megan Avery confirmed. | On Saturday night, she was treated at Alice Hyde Medical Center, hospital spokesperson Megan Avery confirmed. |
| Avery said that the woman was treated and released “during the period in question”, and the woman’s son told NBC she had suffered a panic attack that night. “She is not the kind of person that’s going to risk her life or other people’s lives to let these guys escape,” he said. | Avery said that the woman was treated and released “during the period in question”, and the woman’s son told NBC she had suffered a panic attack that night. “She is not the kind of person that’s going to risk her life or other people’s lives to let these guys escape,” he said. |
| An unnamed source told CNN that the woman’s phone made multiple calls to associates of Matt, though the source did not say whether she knew her phone had been used. Neither the woman nor any other civilian or prison employee has been charged or arrested as of Wednesday morning. Calls to the woman and her sons went unanswered. | An unnamed source told CNN that the woman’s phone made multiple calls to associates of Matt, though the source did not say whether she knew her phone had been used. Neither the woman nor any other civilian or prison employee has been charged or arrested as of Wednesday morning. Calls to the woman and her sons went unanswered. |
| Hundreds of investigators also descended on a Willsboro, a small town near the borders of New York, Vermont and Canada, after they received a tip on Tuesday that the duo had fled into the brush after a civilian spotted them on the road there. | |
| Someone called police to report “two suspicious men walking down a very rural road in the southern part of our town, in the middle of a driving rainstorm”, Willsboro town supervisor Shaun Gillilland told the Wall Street Journal. | Someone called police to report “two suspicious men walking down a very rural road in the southern part of our town, in the middle of a driving rainstorm”, Willsboro town supervisor Shaun Gillilland told the Wall Street Journal. |
| The men, “not dressed for the elements”, fled into the fields as the witness drove toward them, Gillilland said. | The men, “not dressed for the elements”, fled into the fields as the witness drove toward them, Gillilland said. |
| With only about 2,000 residents, Willsoboro rests near the shores of Lake Champlain and is only a ferry ride away from Burlington, Vermont. The town is about an hour’s drive from Canada, said resident Mark Bofey, and an extremely rural area full of fields, forests and swampy terrain. | With only about 2,000 residents, Willsoboro rests near the shores of Lake Champlain and is only a ferry ride away from Burlington, Vermont. The town is about an hour’s drive from Canada, said resident Mark Bofey, and an extremely rural area full of fields, forests and swampy terrain. |
| Bofey said that the city had quieted considerably since yesterday, when “the whole front of our house was loaded with troopers and marshals and reporters – it was pretty much the command center for this thing”. | Bofey said that the city had quieted considerably since yesterday, when “the whole front of our house was loaded with troopers and marshals and reporters – it was pretty much the command center for this thing”. |
| He said he hasn’t seen anything in particular, but that “unsurprisingly it’s been kind of nerve-racking” to have two convicted murderers – Matt killed and dismembered a former employee, Sweat shot dead a deputy sheriff – being chased so close to his otherwise quiet home. | He said he hasn’t seen anything in particular, but that “unsurprisingly it’s been kind of nerve-racking” to have two convicted murderers – Matt killed and dismembered a former employee, Sweat shot dead a deputy sheriff – being chased so close to his otherwise quiet home. |
| Bofey’s husband, Darren Darrah, told the Press Republican that the terrain would be difficult for both convicts and investigators, saying it took police “about three hours to get through a big swamp”. | Bofey’s husband, Darren Darrah, told the Press Republican that the terrain would be difficult for both convicts and investigators, saying it took police “about three hours to get through a big swamp”. |
| Former law enforcement officials have warned against speculation without evidence regarding possible accomplices or escape techniques. Martin Horn, a former New York City commissioner of correction and probation, said that the inmates should not be underestimated and could have escaped without a conscious accomplice. | Former law enforcement officials have warned against speculation without evidence regarding possible accomplices or escape techniques. Martin Horn, a former New York City commissioner of correction and probation, said that the inmates should not be underestimated and could have escaped without a conscious accomplice. |
| “You have to always assume the worst and consider if one things is true then other things are equally possible,” he said. Given the careful planning of the escape, he said it was likely that Matt and Sweat similarly planned travel outside the prison, but investigators appear to be operating on the assumption that the men are on foot. Law enforcement sources have said it seems likely that the convicts’ pickup car did not arrive as planned. | “You have to always assume the worst and consider if one things is true then other things are equally possible,” he said. Given the careful planning of the escape, he said it was likely that Matt and Sweat similarly planned travel outside the prison, but investigators appear to be operating on the assumption that the men are on foot. Law enforcement sources have said it seems likely that the convicts’ pickup car did not arrive as planned. |
| A $100,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the men’ capture, and authorities have called Matt and Sweat “dangerous” and “desperate”. People who knew the pair have similarly described them as clever but unpredictable and violent men. | A $100,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the men’ capture, and authorities have called Matt and Sweat “dangerous” and “desperate”. People who knew the pair have similarly described them as clever but unpredictable and violent men. |
| “He has a genius IQ,” Matt’s 23-year-old son Nicholas Harris told the Buffalo News. “I can’t believe they let this happen.” | “He has a genius IQ,” Matt’s 23-year-old son Nicholas Harris told the Buffalo News. “I can’t believe they let this happen.” |
| Matt has also been shot multiple times and carried on unfazed, his son said: “This guy has bullet holes on his body. He’s been shot like nine times. It’s like they can’t kill him. He showed me the scars on his forearms from another time he escaped.” | Matt has also been shot multiple times and carried on unfazed, his son said: “This guy has bullet holes on his body. He’s been shot like nine times. It’s like they can’t kill him. He showed me the scars on his forearms from another time he escaped.” |