Blake Hall
Ever seen the Birdman of Alcatraz? Or The Shawshank Redemption?
Good “prison break” flicks, right?
Of course, they were movies (fake), and one of them featured a man who was wrongly accused successfully breaking out of prison and eventually meeting his best ex-con friend in Mexico where they (presumably) give boat rides to tourists for money in perpetuity and live happily ever after.
Believe it or not, this kind of thing happened in real life in New York late Friday into early Saturday, where two convicted murderers — Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34 — busted their way out of Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora (otherwise known as “Little Siberia”), which is about 20 miles south of the Canadian border.
Unfortunately, they’re now “on the lam” and a massive nationwide manhunt is underway and being orchestrated by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to reel in the two dangerous jailbirds and put them back in the clink where they belong.
Once again, this is not fiction. But how these two men busted out of the high-security prison? It’s stranger than fiction.
You’re not going to believe this, from the Chicago Tribune:
Prison officials found the inmates’ beds inside the 150-year-old Clinton Correctional Facility stuffed with clothes on Saturday morning in an apparent attempt to fool guards making their rounds. On a cut steam pipe, the prisoners left a taunting note containing a crude Asian caricature and the words “Have a nice day.”
Officials said the 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.
To escape, the inmates had to cut into the steam pipe then shimmy “some distance,” Cuomo said, before cutting themselves out again. Their path brought to mind “The Shawshank Redemption,” the 1994 adaptation of a Stephen King story about an inmate’s carefully planned prison escape.It was the first escape from the maximum-security portion of the prison, which was built in 1865.
The men may have had assistance outside the prison, perhaps meeting up with someone who helped them leave the area, investigators said.
Cuomo said investigators were confident the men obtained the tools inside the prison. Acting Corrections Commissioner Anthony Annucci said an inventory of prison tools had so far shown none missing and he was in contact with contractors who were doing or had done work at the prison.
New York State is offering $100,000 to anyone with information regarding the prison break or the fugitives in question.
So, if you’re not doing anything this week (maybe off for summer vacay?) you should maybe do some snooping around. Just be aware that they’re extremely dangerous and that, wait, you know what? Don’t.
On second thought, go here. It’s a lot better. There’s a ton of cool stuff, and you won’t be putting yourself in harm’s way. It’s safe. And easy.