A quartet of inmates, including one man facing murder charges, have evaded authorities, staging a daring breakout from a central jail in Georgia. The detainees successfully made their escape through a compromised window on the second floor and then negotiated their way through the surrounding fences.
The escape was masterminded at the Bibb County Detention Center, situated in Macon, roughly 84 miles southeast of Atlanta, in the haunting pre-dawn hours of approximately 3 a.m. on a Monday. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office reported that the inmates successfully executed their escape by exploiting a faulty day room window and a tampered fence.
Sheriff David Davis informed the media that a blue Dodge Challenger suspiciously stationed in the parking lot bordering the fence seemed to play a role in the incident.
Video recordings give some indication of a vehicle parked there earlier in the evening, exhibiting signs of meddling with the fence. Furthermore, items were introduced into the secure space of the fence, which the inmates could have used to facilitate their escape, as per Davis.
Among the escapees is 52-year-old Joey Fournier, who now stands accused of murder. His accomplices include 24-year-old Marc Kerry Anderson, facing aggravated assault charges and 29-year-old Chavis Demaryo Stokes, under scrutiny for possession of a firearm as well as drug trafficking.
The fourth culprit in this daring escape is Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, a 37-year-old man handed over to the US Marshals following his conviction on federal crimes related to the armed distribution of substantial amounts of drugs, acknowledged officials from the US Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Georgia.
Speculative evidence is currently under investigation involving incriminating footage of the blue vehicle, parked and lying in wait in the vicinity of the jail fence. It remains undetermined whether the absconded inmates took refuge in that car.
The department’s contingent was under strength at the time, being manned by fewer than ten individuals when the breakout occurred, Davis shared, adding that changes regarding the detention center’s staffing are underway.
An ongoing internal examination is focused on determining how the inmates managed to exit their respective cells and gain access to a day room – a meeting spot generally reserved for indoor recreational sessions. It appears that the room wasn’t secured, as the inmates were expected to be asleep at the time.
Sheriff Davis revealed that it doesn’t seem as though the inmates were familiar with each other prior to their detention in the jail. He added that three out of the four escapees have had previous run-ins with the institution.
The daring escape originated from the oldest sector of the archaic 43-year-old facility. The sheriff’s office seeks public assistance in tracing the four fugitives, with a dedicated tip line at 478-751-7500, and the Macon Regional Crime Stoppers at 877-682-7463. A bounty of $1,000 is being offered for any information that leads to their recapture.
The event triggered a swift reaction from the local education authorities, with 38 schools and programs in the Bibb County School District initiating a “precautionary lockdown”, constraining outdoor activities, while classroom learning continued apace.
As it stands, there are no immediate intentions to extend the lockdown, with school officials maintaining an open communication line with the Sheriff’s office for future advisories and updates.
