Three more charged over inmate escape
Published 6:45 pm Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Three more people have been arrested and charged with aiding inthe escape of six inmates from the Lincoln County Jail lastweek.
Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing said Brian S. Durr, 30, of3377 Kinder Trail, Ruth; Sally Durr, 29, of 3377 Kinder Trail,Ruth; and Billy S. Wallace, 61, of 339 West Lincoln Dr., have beencharged with accessory after the fact of escape, a charge thatcarries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All werearrested Tuesday and all have been released on bond and areawaiting trial.
“Each one had their own way to contribute and assist the escapees,”Rushing said. “They provided money and/or transport.”
All three suspects are alleged to have played a part in the Sept.27 escape of Ahmad R. Butler, 22, of 920 Chippewa St.; James R.Durr, 33, of 1620 East Nola Road; Austin R. Hart, 16, of 338 BogueChitto Road; Bobby J. Hudson, 26, of 306 Brister St.; Justin S.Leake, 31, of 2883 Grandview Lane; and Chad M. Wallace, 29, of 148Wakefield Lane.
Brian and Sally Durr are the brother and sister-in-law of James R.Durr, and Billy S. Wallace is the uncle of Chad M. Wallace, Rushingsaid. The inmate Durr is facing charges of grand larceny ofpersonal property and escape, while inmate Wallace is facing drugcharges and escape.
“Since the case is pending, I can’t go into detail on how or what,but based on information we received through our investigation wedetermined these three helped the escapees get to New Orleans,” hesaid.
The escapees forced their way through a third-story window andclimbed down using bed sheets for a rope, fleeing to New Orleans.They were on the run for about 30 hours before being nabbed bylocal deputies and the U.S. Marshals Service at two hotels in theBig Easy early on the morning of Sept. 29.
Butler is charged with murder in the June 17 shooting death of21-year-old Anthony Nichols of McComb, who was shot in the headnear a convenience store on South First Street. Hart is facingcharges of burglary of a motor vehicle and is being tried as anadult. Hudson and Leake face drug charges.
All six are charged with escape, which carries a maximum sentenceof five years in prison. All are awaiting trial.
Tuesday’s arrests bring the total number of suspects believed tohave helped the escapees to four. Christy Vige, 32, of New Orleans,was taken into custody alongside the last inmate captured last weekand charged in Louisiana with six counts of accessory after thefact relative to escape.
Vige, also known as Christy Douglas, lived in Brookhaven earlierthis year. She is believed to be Hudson’s girlfriend and is allegedto have rented both hotel rooms where the inmates werecaptured.