You would think it only happens in the movies, but two convicted murderers at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora were able to successfully pull off what could be one of the most flawless prison breaks in a maximum-security prison.
The prisoners, who are still at large, were identified to be David Sweat, 34, and Richard Matt, 28. Sweat had been convicted in the July 2002 murder of Kevin Tarsia, a sheriff's deputy, and was serving a life sentence with a chance of parole. Matt was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of kidnapping, robbery, and murder in a man's 1997 death, time.com reports.
So far, there are more than a hundred leads to the case and the Mexican authorities had been alerted for precaution. New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, described the incident as "an extraordinary act" considering this was the first time prisoners have successfully escaped the facility. Cuomo described it as "a really elaborate, sophisticated operation", he tells ABC's Good Morning America.
Inside job?
The escape was too well-planned and based on what investigators found out, the inmates would have had access to power tools which they used to cut through the steel wall at the back of their cell, crawled down a catwalk, broke through a brick wall, cut their way into and out of a steam pipe, and then sliced through the chain and lock on a manhole cover outside the prison, according to foxnews.com.
As to why no noises were heard and how they managed to hide the holes they made, investigators could only think that Sweat and Matt had extra hands to help them carry out the plan. A New York Post report says that the cuts made in the pipes were too perfect and clean they could only be done by an experienced worker.
One female employee - her position at the prison unclear - was interrogated Sunday on suspicion of being an accomplice to the escape, Fox News report adds. "We're going through the civilian employees and private contractors first," Cuomo tells NBC's "Today" show. "I'd be shocked if a correction guard was involved in this, but they definitely had help, otherwise, they couldn't have done this on their own, even from the equipment point of view."
A $100,000 reward had been set out for anyone who could provide a substantial lead to the case. "These are killers. They are murderers," the governor said. "There's never been a question about the crimes they committed. They are now on the loose, and our first order of business is apprehending them."
