Two “dangerous” inmates held on murder charges were recaptured Saturday, a day after their escape from a Mississippi jail. Authorities had been searching for Tyrekennel Collins, 24, and Dezarrious Johnson, 18, since they broke out of the Claiborne County Detention Center around 2:20 a.m. Friday. A Facebook Live video posted by the sheriff’s office showed Collins and Johnson being escorted out of an abandoned residence and placed in a police vehicle. The department had received calls that the pair was hiding there.
Chief Deputy Christy Sykes explained that Collins and Johnson climbed through a panel in the ceiling of a common area in the jail. They then made their way to a window and used bed sheets to drop down to the ground. Jail staff were alerted to the escape immediately by other inmates. Johnson injured his leg during the escape and had a noticeable limp, authorities said in an earlier Facebook post.
Sykes mentioned that Collins and Johnson did not exit the facility with any weapons, but authorities had cautioned that the pair should be considered dangerous. The sheriff’s office had urged residents to “take necessary precautions,” and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation had advised that the two men should not be approached.
Collins was being held for charges out of Copiah County. According to NBC affiliate WLBT of Jackson, Collins was arrested in 2023 in connection with the killing of his 46-year-old cousin. Johnson was being held for charges out of Jefferson County. Sykes said Friday that Collins and Johnson would face additional charges once they were captured.
This isn’t the first time inmates at the facility have been able to escape through a panel in the ceiling. “It’s been an issue,” Sykes said. “We’re working closely with the board of supervisors to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”
The two inmates who escaped from the jail in southwestern Mississippi were captured on Saturday, officials confirmed. The two men, who were awaiting trial on murder charges in separate counties, broke out of the Claiborne County Detention Center at about 2:20 a.m. local time Friday, sparking a county-wide search by multiple law enforcement agencies. On Saturday, Tyrekennel Collins and Dezarrious Johnson were captured at an abandoned home, CBS affiliate WJTV-TV reported. The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department shared a video of the arrest on Facebook.
Camera footage showed Collins and Johnson escaping through the ceiling and leaving behind an outside wall, Claiborne County Sheriff Edward Goods told local reporters. Johnson injured one of his legs during the escape and was walking with a limp, the sheriff’s department said. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said Collins and Johnson were considered armed and dangerous.
WJTV-TV reported that Collins is charged with murder in the October killing of his cousin in Copiah County, which is about 40 miles west of Claiborne County. Court records on Friday did not show an indictment for Collins. Johnson is charged with murder and aggravated assault in Jefferson County, which is just south of Claiborne County. Court records show he was indicted in the October 2022 killing of one person and injuries to two others. His trial is set to begin on October 15.
Two inmates held on murder charges are back behind bars Saturday after they escaped from a Mississippi jail. Claiborne County Sheriff Edward Good said deputies found 24-year-old Tyrekennel Collins and 18-year-old Dezarrious Johnson at an abandoned home Saturday morning after the two had escaped the Claiborne County Detention Center at around 2:20 a.m. Friday. Claiborne County is 60 miles south of Jackson, Miss.
They will be transported to Jefferson County and Copiah County, respectively, where they were originally arrested for murder. Their escape will land them additional charges, which carry up to five years in prison, Good said. Chief Deputy Christy Sykes told NBC News the inmates escaped by climbing through a ceiling panel in the common area of the jail. From there, they made their way to a window and used bed sheets to rappel to the ground. Other inmates immediately alerted jail staff that the two had escaped.
Johnson injured his leg during the escape and had a bad limp, according to authorities. The sheriff’s department warned residents to “take necessary precautions.” The two were not believed to be armed during their escape but were still considered dangerous.
Collins was arrested in 2023 in connection with the murder of his 46-year-old cousin. Johnson is charged with murder and aggravated assault in the killing of one person and injury of two others in 2022. Sykes said this isn’t the first time Claiborne County inmates have been able to escape through a panel in the ceiling. “It’s been an issue,” she said. “We’re working closely with the board of supervisors to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”
Source: NBC News, CBS, UPI
