Mississippi jail break – latest: Fugitive captured on run as hunt continues for remaining escapees
One of the four fugitives who escaped a Mississippi prison sparking a massive manhunt across the region has been captured while on the run in Texas, according to officials.
Prisoner Jerry Raynes was taken into custody in Spring Valley View, in Northwest Harris County on Thursday, according to a tweet from Mississippi’s Hinds County Sheriff’s Office.
Inmates Dylan Arrington, 22, Casey Grayson, 24, Corey Harrison, 22, and Jerry Raynes, 51, escaped from the troubled Raymond Detention Center on Sunday and have been on the run ever since.
One of the escapees – Arrington – allegedly shot and killed 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help him. Arrington then fled in Watts’ Dodge Ram.
He was tracked down to a home in Leake County on Wednesday morning where he opened fire on law enforcement, shooting an officer in the leg.
The house then went up in flames and Arrington died in the fire, the Hinds County sheriff said.
The other three suspects are still at large, with police releasing a surveillance image still of Raynes at a service station in Spring Valley, Texas, at around 11am on Sunday morning.
It is unconfirmed if Raynes travelled to Texas alone.
Key points
Four inmates escape from Mississippi jail
Pastor shot dead by fugitive inmate
One inmate dead after firing at officers from burning house
Surveillance footage captures one escapee in Texas
Wounded officer released from hospital
11:17 , Rachel Sharp
The officer wounded in a standoff with one of the fugitives on Wednesday has now been released from hospital.
Leake County Investigator Jerry Horn was discharged on Thursday one day after he was shot in the leg.
Fugitive Dylan Arrington allegedly shot and killed 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help him. Arrington then fled in Watts’ Dodge Ram before being tracked down to a home in Leake County on Wednesday morning where he opened fire on law enforcement, shooting Investigator Horn in the leg.
The house then went up in flames and Arrington died in the fire, the Hinds County sheriff said.
On Thursday, Leake County Sheriff’s Office announced that he was being reelased from hospital.
“In a few moments, Investigator Horn will be coming into town as he has be RELEASED from the hospital!!! Officers will be escorting him down HWY 25 onto HWY 16 through town,” the department said in a Facebook post.
“We ask that everyone who is able, when you hear the sirens and see the lights, come out and show your appreciation for Investigator Horn!!!Thank you!”
What charges did fugitives face?
11:03 , Graeme Massie
Dylan Arrington is suspected of murder and was charged with auto theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to KTRK.
Corey Harrison was charged with receiving stolen property. Casey Grayson was charged with grand larceny and sale of a controlled substance, and Jerry Raynes was charged with auto theft and burglary of a business.
The Hinds County Sheriff’s Office is now conducting an administrative and criminal investigation into the escape, Sheriff Jones said. Once they are recaptured the inmates will face additional charges of escape and also possibly auto theft.
Fugitive’s remains identified from burning house
09:02 , Graeme Massie
The remains recovered in the burned structure in Carthage, Mississippi, have been identified as one of the escapees, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office confirmed last evening.
Dylan Arrington, 22, fatally shot 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help the fugitive, who had wrecked a motorcycle he had previously stolen.
The suspect then barricaded inside a home on Conway Road and set it on fire during an armed standoff with deputies, authorities said.
The cause of death is under investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said.
How the standoff with Dylan Arrington unfolded
07:02 , Graeme Massie
In a video update on Wednesday, Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson outlined what happened during the encounter with fugitive Dylan Arrington.
The sheriff said that officers went to a home where they believed the suspect had been at around 7am that morning.
When they arrived, the homeowner was home and they spoke with him briefly.
The homeowner then entered the residence before running out and saying the suspect was in the house.
Arrington then started shooting at the officers from inside the home, with a bullet striking an officer in the leg, said the sheriff.
More units responded to the address and the suspect allegedly continued to fire on them.
The sheriff said that the home then went up in flames.
Arrington’s body was later confirmed to be found inside.
Candlelight vigil held for slain pastor
05:06 , Graeme Massie
A candlelight vigil was held for Anthony Watts on Tuesday night at the church where he has been the lead pastor for the last six years.
Anthony Watts, the 61-year-old pastor of St Mary Missionary Baptist Church in D’Lo, Mississippi, was killed on Monday night when he pulled over to help Dylan Arrington, after the inmate got into a motorcycle wreck during his time on the run.
Arrington then stole Watts’ Dodge Ram and fled.
Fugitive who escaped jail with three other inmates and ‘killed good Samaritan’ believed dead
03:01 , Graeme Massie
Police said Dylan Arrington, 22, fatally shot Anthony Watts, 61, on Monday night and injured an officer during a standoff with law enforcement on Wednesday.
Fugitive who ‘killed good Samaritan’ and injured officer believed dead, police say
Mississippi jailbreak prisoner caught while on the run in Texas
Thursday 27 April 2023 22:57 , Graeme Massie
Jerry Raynes was arrested in Spring Valley View near Houston, according to officials.
Mississippi jailbreak prisoner caught while on the run in Texas
Mississippi prison is short of 50 guards, says sheriff
Thursday 27 April 2023 22:14 , Graeme Massie
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones says that the Raymond Detention Center is massively understaffed.
“But of course, that’s no excuse,” Sheriff Jones said. “Again, we have accepted accountability regarding what happened. We just want the other people to know the responsibilities that we are faced with.”
Police say one of fugitives has been arrested
Thursday 27 April 2023 21:49 , Graeme Massie
The Hinds County Sheriff says that one of the fugitives who escaped a Mississippi prison sparking a massive manhunt has been captured while on the run in Texas.
Prisoner Jerry Raynes was taken into custody in Spring Valley View, in Northwest Harris County on Thursday, according to a tweet from the agency.
Raynes is now being evaluated at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital.
The Mississippi jail’s chequered past
Thursday 27 April 2023 21:29 , Graeme Massie
Raymond Detention Center had a chequered past long before four inmates escaped over the weekend.
Last summer, deficiencies in supervision and staffing, and “a stunning array of assaults, as well as deaths” prompted a judge to order a takeover of the detention centre, according to the Associated Press.
Seven people died last year while detained at the jail, according to US District Judge Carlton Reeves said. Judge Reeves wrote in his ruling that cell doors did not lock and a lack of lighting in cells made life “miserable for the detainees who live there and prevents guards from adequately surveilling detainees.”
He also said guards sometimes slept instead of monitoring the cameras in the control room.
But before an appointed receiver was scheduled to assume control over the jail this year, a court of appeals halted the lower court’s order until it ruled on the county’s motion for reconsideration.
Slain pastor ‘always wanted to help people’, say friends
Thursday 27 April 2023 20:46 , Graeme Massie
The Good Samaritan pastor who was shot dead for trying to help one of the escaped inmates “always wanted to help people”, according to his friends.
Pastor Anthony Watts, 61, was killed on Monday night when he pulled over to help Dylan Arrington, after the inmate got into a motorcycle wreck during his time on the run.
Arrington then stole Watts’ Dodge Ram and fled.
Close friends of Watts – who was the lead pastor at St Mary Missionary Baptist Church in D’Lo, Mississippi – paid tribute to him as someone who always wanted to look out for others.
“That was the type of person he was. He always wanted to help. Always wanted to know what he can do whatever the circumstance may be,” Karen Fairley told WAPT.
“He always told you he loved you and his spirit was so sincere, so kind, and so loving to just everyone he came in contact with.”
She said she can understand why he stopped to help the escaped inmate as that was who he was.
“The action that happened, we could understand why he did it, because that was just in his nature,” said Ms Fairley, whose father is an associate minister at the church.
Fugitive Jerry Raynes spotted by surveillance video in Houston-area gas station
Thursday 27 April 2023 15:41 , Graig Graziosi
Jerry Raynes, one of the three surviving fugitives who escaped a prison in Mississippi, was reportedly caught on camera in the Houston area.
The Hinds County Sheriff said Raynes was at a gas station convenience store around 11am on Sunday morning.
Deputies also found an abandoned truck under an overpass they belong may have some connection to Raynes.
Update: Surveillance footage of escapee, Jerry Raynes, in a service station in Spring Valley, TX on Sunday morning at 11am. The stolen Hinds County maintenance truck was also recovered in Spring Valley, TX on Sunday. It is still unconfirmed if Raynes traveled to Texas alone. pic.twitter.com/yFZjH7G0yj
— TyreeJonesSheriff (@TyreeSheriff) April 26, 2023
What charges did fugitives face?
Thursday 27 April 2023 15:01 , Graeme Massie
Dylan Arrington is suspected of murder and was charged with auto theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to KTRK.
Corey Harrison was charged with receiving stolen property. Casey Grayson was charged with grand larceny and sale of a controlled substance, and Jerry Raynes was charged with auto theft and burglary of a business.
The Hinds County Sheriff’s Office is now conducting an administrative and criminal investigation into the escape, Sheriff Jones said. Once they are recaptured the inmates will face additional charges of escape and also possibly auto theft.
PICTURED: Fugitives on the run
Thursday 27 April 2023 14:13 , Rachel Sharp
Stolen vehicles used in getaways
Thursday 27 April 2023 13:20 , Graeme Massie
The escaped inmates have so far used a number of stolen vehicles in their getaways.
Authorities have said that a truck – a red Chevy Silverado – was stolen from close to the jail at around 2.30am on Sunday morning with a witness spotting two men inside the vehicle.
Investigators believe this is connected to the jail break.
Another vehicle – a Hinds County Public Works vehicle – was found abandoned in Spring Valley Village, Texas, after at least one of the fugitives is believed to have used it in his escape.
Surveillance footage has captured Jerry Raynes at a service station in Spring Valley, Texas, at around 11am on Sunday morning.
A red Dodge Ram 1500 truck was also stolen when Dylan Arrington allegedly shot pastor Anthony Watts dead and made off in his vehicle.
Investigators search burned home where fugitive died in Mississippi
Thursday 27 April 2023 13:04 , Graeme Massie
Fugitives to face additional charges over prison break
Thursday 27 April 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp
The three fugitives still on the run will face additional charges over the prison break once they are captured.
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said that the men now face additional charges of escape and possibly auto theft.
This is on top of the charge they were already behind bars for.
They were in custody at Raymond Detention Center on a variety of charges including theft, firearm and auto theft charges.
Investigations launched into Mississippi jail break
Thursday 27 April 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp
Investigations have been launched into the Mississippi jail break which has now culminated in two deaths – one of an innocent Good Samaritan and the second of one of the four inmates.
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said that both an administrative and criminal investigation is underway as authorities seek to determine how the inmates were able to break free from the facility.
How the prison break unfolded
Thursday 27 April 2023 10:40 , Rachel Sharp
Details are still emerging about how the four inmates managed to escape from Raymond Detention Center on Sunday.
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said in a press conference on Monday that two breaches had been found inside the jail – one inside a cell and the other in the roof.
The four escapees are believed to have managed to climb onto the roof at around 8.30pm on Saturday night and camped up there, before leaving the facility at different times.
The jail break was discovered at around 12.30am on Sunday morning during a routine head count and the facility was instantly plunged into lockdown.
PICTURED: Good Samaritan pastor shot dead for trying to help escaped inmate
Thursday 27 April 2023 10:20 , Rachel Sharp
The Good Samaritan pastor shot dead for trying to help one of the escaped inmates has been pictured.
Pastor Anthony Watts, 61, was killed on Monday night when he pulled over to help Dylan Arrington, after the inmate got into a motorcycle wreck during his time on the run.
Arrington then stole Watts’ Dodge Ram and fled.
Leake County Sheriff’s Office gives details of shooting
Thursday 27 April 2023 10:00 , Graeme Massie
Sheriff says one fugitive believed to be in Texas
Thursday 27 April 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said one of the escaped detainees has been spotted in Spring Valley, Texas.
Sheriff Jones said surveillance video showed Jerry Raynes at a service station on Sunday, 23 April at 11.00am. A stolen Hinds County maintenance truck was also recovered in Spring Valley on Sunday.
It is not known if the other fugitives are with him.
“I am not sure of (if) it’s because of ties in the area of if they’re trying to get across the border at some point,” the sheriff said.
Thursday 27 April 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Suspects were named by officials as Dylan Arrington, 22, Casey Grayson, 24, Corey Harrison, 22, and Jerry Raynes, 51.
Arrington is reportedly dead after a confrontation with law enforcement.
Leake County residents asked to be ‘extremely cautious’
Thursday 27 April 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Leake County authorities asked residents to be “extremely cautious”, keep their doors locked and avoid having keys or weapons in parked vehicles.
“If you have suspicions of a trespasser on your property, please notify the Sheriff’s Office, appose to taking matters into your own hands. If you hear noises, see something/someone, please notify us,” the Leake County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff’s Office yet to confirm presence of others inside the burning house
Thursday 27 April 2023 05:47 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Authorities are yet to specify whether there were others in the Conway Road home that was engulfed in flames during a shootout with the deputies.
The “structure was engulfed in flames and an individual inside of the structure started firing shots at law enforcement on the exterior,” Hinds County sheriff Tyree Jones told a local news station.
“I believe (the person inside the home) did not intend to leave here alive today.”
Pictures from scene of confrontation with armed fugitive
Thursday 27 April 2023 04:04 , Graeme Massie
Fugitive seen in Houston area
Thursday 27 April 2023 00:03 , Graeme Massie
Wednesday 26 April 2023 21:45 , Graeme Massie
Police said Dylan Arrington, 22, fatally shot Anthony Watts, 61, on Monday night and injured an officer during a standoff with law enforcement on Wednesday.
Mississippi prison escape blog
Wednesday 26 April 2023 21:00 , Graeme Massie
This is a live blog covering the Mississippi jail break that has seen one fugitive killed and three still on the loose.
