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Police believe escaped convicts have armed themselves with stolen weapons Police believe New York prison escapees are armed with stolen weapons
(35 minutes later)
Police have “every reason” to believe two escaped convicts from a prison in upstate New York will have armed themselves by now by stealing weapons locals keep in rural hunting cabins, and could “easily” be traveling 10 miles a day on foot as they continue to stay steps ahead of the massive manhunt. Police have “every reason” to believe two escaped convicts from a prison in upstate New York will have armed themselves by now by stealing weapons locals keep in rural hunting cabins, and could “easily” be travelling 10 miles a day on foot as they continue to stay steps ahead of the massive manhunt.
The authorities are shifting personnel to the remote town of Malone, New York, in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains on Wednesday afternoon, saying the move is motivated more by a need to protect the safety of residents than any clue that the men may turn up there. The authorities were shifting personnel to the remote town of Malone, New York, in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains on Wednesday afternoon, saying the move is motivated more by a need to protect the safety of residents than any clue that the men may turn up there.
One of the two men who broke out of Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, close to the Canadian border on 6 June, is believed to have been glimpsed fleeing through the forest from a burglarized cabin on Saturday morning in Owls Head, 11 miles from Malone. One of the two men who broke out of Clinton correctional facility in Dannemora, New York, close to the Canadian border on 6 June, is believed to have been glimpsed fleeing through the forest from a burglarized cabin on Saturday morning in Owls Head, 11 miles from Malone.
The police have not been able to corroborate that sighting and have no images or detailed descriptions of the men on the run. But DNA from both convicts was found at the cabin where, it appeared, one or both of them had been surprised when the owner of the property turned up there on Saturday morning.The police have not been able to corroborate that sighting and have no images or detailed descriptions of the men on the run. But DNA from both convicts was found at the cabin where, it appeared, one or both of them had been surprised when the owner of the property turned up there on Saturday morning.
The authorities found prison-issued underwear, socks with blood on them and the remains of food, and concluded after DNA tests on Monday that the prisoners had been on the premises within the previous 48 hours.The authorities found prison-issued underwear, socks with blood on them and the remains of food, and concluded after DNA tests on Monday that the prisoners had been on the premises within the previous 48 hours.
“They are cunning and dangerous. We have every reason to believe they would have armed themselves as quickly as possible,” major Charles Guess of New York state police said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon in Cadyville, close to the prison in Dannemora and 37 miles south-east of Malone. “They are cunning and dangerous. We have every reason to believe they would have armed themselves as quickly as possible,” Major Charles Guess of New York state police said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon in Cadyville, close to the prison in Dannemora and 37 miles south-east of Malone.
Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 35, escaped from the maximum security wing of the prison in the early hours of Saturday 6 June in an audacious break-out that involved cutting through steel walls and pipes and leaving dummies resembling sleeping figures in their beds.Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 35, escaped from the maximum security wing of the prison in the early hours of Saturday 6 June in an audacious break-out that involved cutting through steel walls and pipes and leaving dummies resembling sleeping figures in their beds.
They have been on the run for almost three weeks, with 1,000 officers from a host of agencies following up on approximately 2,200 tips in the thousands of square miles of dense forest, rugged mountains, rivers and lakes in the region.They have been on the run for almost three weeks, with 1,000 officers from a host of agencies following up on approximately 2,200 tips in the thousands of square miles of dense forest, rugged mountains, rivers and lakes in the region.
“They could have made it out before law enforcement encircled them,” Guess said, of the perimeter of officers and vehicles thrown up around a 75 square mile patch of wilderness since the possible sighting of the fugitives on Saturday.“They could have made it out before law enforcement encircled them,” Guess said, of the perimeter of officers and vehicles thrown up around a 75 square mile patch of wilderness since the possible sighting of the fugitives on Saturday.
Guess said many residents of the area do not keep specific inventories of all the weapons they own, so no one has reported a weapon missing. But with hundreds, possibly thousands, of remote cabins for seasonal recreation dotted all over the region, many keep rifles and ammunition stored on the properties for hunting trips, he said.Guess said many residents of the area do not keep specific inventories of all the weapons they own, so no one has reported a weapon missing. But with hundreds, possibly thousands, of remote cabins for seasonal recreation dotted all over the region, many keep rifles and ammunition stored on the properties for hunting trips, he said.
“We have nearly 100% assurance that they were in the area [of Owls Head], but we have no pictures or a sighting that is definitive. He saw someone fleeing into the woods, and that’s the best we could get out of him,” Guess said of the unnamed owner of the cabin where it is believed Matt and Sweat had been holed up.“We have nearly 100% assurance that they were in the area [of Owls Head], but we have no pictures or a sighting that is definitive. He saw someone fleeing into the woods, and that’s the best we could get out of him,” Guess said of the unnamed owner of the cabin where it is believed Matt and Sweat had been holed up.
Guess said they could easily travel 10 miles a day on foot if they were “unimpeded” by undergrowth or law enforcement, such as following an all terrain vehicle trail through the forest. Guess said they could easily travel 10 miles a day on foot if they were “unimpeded” by undergrowth or law enforcement, such as following an all-terrain vehicle trail through the forest.
“We are continuing to look nationwide,” he said.“We are continuing to look nationwide,” he said.
Prison worker Joyce Mitchell, 51, is in custody, charged in connection with helping the men escape by smuggling in tools and providing other assistance, after forming illicit close relationships with both men.Prison worker Joyce Mitchell, 51, is in custody, charged in connection with helping the men escape by smuggling in tools and providing other assistance, after forming illicit close relationships with both men.
She is accused of planning to drive a getaway car for them after they emerged from a manhole cover into the street, but police say she got cold feet and did not turn up.She is accused of planning to drive a getaway car for them after they emerged from a manhole cover into the street, but police say she got cold feet and did not turn up.