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| 'Dangerous beyond description': escaped Georgia inmates steal vehicles | 'Dangerous beyond description': escaped Georgia inmates steal vehicles |
| (7 months later) | |
| Donnie Russell Rowe and Ricky Dubose, who escaped as they were being driven between prisons, are armed, says Putnam County sheriff | |
| Associated Press | |
| Wed 14 Jun 2017 15.52 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 14 Jul 2017 17.59 BST | |
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| Two Georgia cellmates who killed their guards and escaped from a prison bus have stolen a second vehicle as they try to stay ahead of a vast manhunt, a sheriff said on Wednesday. | Two Georgia cellmates who killed their guards and escaped from a prison bus have stolen a second vehicle as they try to stay ahead of a vast manhunt, a sheriff said on Wednesday. |
| Donnie Russell Rowe, serving life without parole, and Ricky Dubose, who has prominent tattoos on his face and neck, took a white pickup truck from an industrial site sometime between 6pm on Tuesday and 6am on Wednesday, potentially enabling them to get hours away before the theft was discovered, Putnam County sheriff Howard Sills said. | Donnie Russell Rowe, serving life without parole, and Ricky Dubose, who has prominent tattoos on his face and neck, took a white pickup truck from an industrial site sometime between 6pm on Tuesday and 6am on Wednesday, potentially enabling them to get hours away before the theft was discovered, Putnam County sheriff Howard Sills said. |
| Sills described the fugitives as violent repeat offenders and extremely dangerous, having taken the guards’ 9mm pistols. He urged anyone who saw them to call 911 immediately. | Sills described the fugitives as violent repeat offenders and extremely dangerous, having taken the guards’ 9mm pistols. He urged anyone who saw them to call 911 immediately. |
| “They just murdered two corrections officers in a brutal fashion,” Sills said. “They’re not concerned with anything regarding human life.” | “They just murdered two corrections officers in a brutal fashion,” Sills said. “They’re not concerned with anything regarding human life.” |
| Immediately after the killings early on Tuesday, the pair carjacked a driver who happened to pull up behind the bus on a rural highway, and drove away in a “grass green” four-door 2004 Honda Civic with the Georgia license plate number RBJ-6601, authorities said. | Immediately after the killings early on Tuesday, the pair carjacked a driver who happened to pull up behind the bus on a rural highway, and drove away in a “grass green” four-door 2004 Honda Civic with the Georgia license plate number RBJ-6601, authorities said. |
| They left 31 other inmates locked in the bus with the two dead guards, and took the driver’s phone. By the time help arrived, they had vanished. | They left 31 other inmates locked in the bus with the two dead guards, and took the driver’s phone. By the time help arrived, they had vanished. |
| Hours later, authorities converged on the small city of Madison, about 25 miles to the north, where they determined the fugitives had ransacked a house at about 10.30am on Tuesday. Sills said they took some food and probably some clothes, since they left their prison uniforms behind. | Hours later, authorities converged on the small city of Madison, about 25 miles to the north, where they determined the fugitives had ransacked a house at about 10.30am on Tuesday. Sills said they took some food and probably some clothes, since they left their prison uniforms behind. |
| Authorities put up roadblocks, only to discover on Wednesday morning that the pickup had been stolen, from a site about nine miles away from the burglary. Authorities were searching for a 2008 white Ford F250 pickup truck with the Georgia tag BCX-5372. Since they had not found the Honda Civic, it was not clear whether the fugitives were still together. | Authorities put up roadblocks, only to discover on Wednesday morning that the pickup had been stolen, from a site about nine miles away from the burglary. Authorities were searching for a 2008 white Ford F250 pickup truck with the Georgia tag BCX-5372. Since they had not found the Honda Civic, it was not clear whether the fugitives were still together. |
| “It’s very frustrating,” Sills said. “We need the public’s help in locating these vehicles and locating these individuals.” | “It’s very frustrating,” Sills said. “We need the public’s help in locating these vehicles and locating these individuals.” |
| Sills agreed with reporters that Dubose would have trouble hiding his prominent tattoos, which include crowns above his eyebrows, a star below his right ear and graffiti-style letters all across his neck. Sills said Dubose also had “ghost” tattooed on his right forefinger and “face” on his right pinky finger – signs of membership in the Ghost Face Gangsters. | Sills agreed with reporters that Dubose would have trouble hiding his prominent tattoos, which include crowns above his eyebrows, a star below his right ear and graffiti-style letters all across his neck. Sills said Dubose also had “ghost” tattooed on his right forefinger and “face” on his right pinky finger – signs of membership in the Ghost Face Gangsters. |
| Both escaped inmates were serving long sentences for armed robbery and other crimes. The state corrections department website indicates Rowe has been serving life without parole since 2002, and Dubose began a 20-year sentence in 2015. | Both escaped inmates were serving long sentences for armed robbery and other crimes. The state corrections department website indicates Rowe has been serving life without parole since 2002, and Dubose began a 20-year sentence in 2015. |
| The inmates have been cellmates more than once in Georgia’s prisons, had known each other for “quite a while” and may have planned the escape together, Ricky Myrick, the department of corrections assistant commissioner, said. | The inmates have been cellmates more than once in Georgia’s prisons, had known each other for “quite a while” and may have planned the escape together, Ricky Myrick, the department of corrections assistant commissioner, said. |
| Baldwin state prison officers Sgt Christopher Monica and Sgt Curtis Billue were driving 33 inmates between prisons when Rowe and Dubose overpowered them and used the guards’ guns to kill them at about 6.45am on Tuesday, authorities have said. | Baldwin state prison officers Sgt Christopher Monica and Sgt Curtis Billue were driving 33 inmates between prisons when Rowe and Dubose overpowered them and used the guards’ guns to kill them at about 6.45am on Tuesday, authorities have said. |
| The other inmates have been questioned and a camera on the bus recorded the guards being shot, but corrections officials have not explained to the public how the pair managed to get through the inmate compartment’s normally locked door. | The other inmates have been questioned and a camera on the bus recorded the guards being shot, but corrections officials have not explained to the public how the pair managed to get through the inmate compartment’s normally locked door. |
| “They were inside the caged area of the bus,” Sills said. “How they got through the locks and things up to that area I do not know.” | “They were inside the caged area of the bus,” Sills said. “How they got through the locks and things up to that area I do not know.” |
| The sheriff said he had watched the bus video on a cellphone, and could not immediately tell which inmate fired the fatal shots. | The sheriff said he had watched the bus video on a cellphone, and could not immediately tell which inmate fired the fatal shots. |
| Monica, 42, and Billue, 58, were both transfer sergeants at Baldwin. Monica had been with the Georgia department of corrections since October 2009 and Billue since July 2007. | Monica, 42, and Billue, 58, were both transfer sergeants at Baldwin. Monica had been with the Georgia department of corrections since October 2009 and Billue since July 2007. |
| “Officer Billue’s family asks for prayers for all of those who are now placing their own lives at risk to bring these men to justice and asks anyone who has information that may assist in apprehending these perpetrators to please contact law enforcement,” Jim Green, an attorney speaking for the Billue family, said in an email on Tuesday. | “Officer Billue’s family asks for prayers for all of those who are now placing their own lives at risk to bring these men to justice and asks anyone who has information that may assist in apprehending these perpetrators to please contact law enforcement,” Jim Green, an attorney speaking for the Billue family, said in an email on Tuesday. |
| The reward for information leading to their arrest grew on Wednesday to $90,000, contributed by multiple agencies, Sills said, adding that it was likely the pair had left the Madison area. Many law enforcement officers from local, state and federal agencies were hunting for them. | The reward for information leading to their arrest grew on Wednesday to $90,000, contributed by multiple agencies, Sills said, adding that it was likely the pair had left the Madison area. Many law enforcement officers from local, state and federal agencies were hunting for them. |
| “They’ve certainly had time to get out of the state,” Sills said. | “They’ve certainly had time to get out of the state,” Sills said. |
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