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Looks like this was just put up an hour or so ago. 

 

http://timesdaily.com/stories/...escape-center,196585

 

FLORENCE — Authorities are searching for four Lauderdale County Detention Center inmates who escaped late Saturday night.

The inmates climbed through an air-conditioning duct to the roof of the jail and escaped through the fence, Sheriff Ronnie Willis said.

Officials identified the escapees as:

Ricky Dewayne Lawson, 28, Lexington, who is charged with failure to appear.

Wesley Lee Gibson, Florence, 27, who is charged with failure to appear, third-degree theft of property and third-degree trespassing.

Damien Lee Nix, 23, Russellville, who is charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance within three miles of a school and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance within three miles of a school or housing project.

Robert Lee Brown, 20, Sheffield, 20, who is charged with probation violation and failure to obey.

Willis said the men were in a cell on the second floor of the two-story jail. “There’s a duct area for air conditioning and it’s a hole to the roof,” he said. “They went through the vent, ran onto the roof and went out the fence.”

They used something to break open a heavy metal door in the process, Willis said.

He said the inmates were in the cell at an 11 p.m. head count, but were missing Sunday morning. Officials looked at a video and found out they left at 11:45 p.m., Willis said.

Deputies arrested Lawson’s father, Earnest Earl Lawson, on Sunday and charged him with first-degree escape because he picked up three of the inmates, Willis said. They also confiscated Earnest Lawson’s pickup that he used to pick up the inmates.

“Lawson’s dad gave him money, and they went out on their own,” Willis said.

Nix did not ride with the three men, Willis said. The sheriff said his charges are from Franklin County but he was in the Lauderdale jail as part of an inmate swap that was done to separate two inmates.

Willis said Gibson has a drug charge in Colbert County but Lauderdale officials picked him up on a judge’s order because of the charges in Lauderdale County.

The sheriff said U.S. marshals are assisting with the search.

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 256-740-5739 or bernie.delinski@TimesDaily.com.

 

Two down, Two to go. 

 

http://timesdaily.com/stories/...rizing-church,196677

 

The second of four men who escaped from the Lauderdale County Detention Center on Saturday has been captured in Florida after trying to burglarize a church, officials said.

Two of the four escapees remain at large.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Ronnie Willis said he was informed Tuesday that Wesley Lee Gibson, 27, Florence, was arrested earlier in the day in Santa Rosa County, Fla. Santa Rosa officials called the sheriff’s office about 7:30 a.m. to notify them of the arrest.

“From what we understand, they caught him trying to break into a church,” Willis said. “But there was no sign of the other two (escapees).”

Gibson, Damien Lee Nix, 23, of Russellville, Ricky Dewayne Lawson, 28, of Lexington, and Robert Lee Brown, 20, of Sheffield, reportedly climbed through an air-conditioning duct to the roof of the jail and escaped through a fence late Saturday night, officials said.

Willis said Nix was arrested just after 10 p.m. Sunday at a residence on East Limestone Street in Florence. The sheriff said the search continues for Lawson and Brown.

Authorities said Gibson was caught in Navarre, Fla., southeast of Pensacola.

“From what we’ve been able to determine, he was caught inside the church, apparently trying to steal the keys to a church vehicle,” Willis said of Gibson.

He said the red truck that Lawson’s father, Earnest Earl Lawson, allowed the men to use during the escape has been found in a nearby Wal-Mart parking lot.

“That means the other two have stolen another vehicle, are on foot or getting help from someone else,” Willis said.

Officials said Lawson’s father, Earnest Earl Lawson, was arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree escape because he picked up his son, Brown and Gibson.

Willis said his office is continuing to work with U.S. marshals to follow up on information that could lead them to Lawson and Brown.

Authorities said they have reason to believe they could be in Florida.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 256-760-5757 or Shoals Area Crime Stoppers at 256-3860-8685.

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