(Facebook)
Joyce Mitchell was named as a possible aid to David Sweat and Richard Matt, two convicted murderers who escaped from Clinton Correctional in Dannemora, New York. Sweat and Matt escaped from the maximum security facility at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, June 6 after dummies were discovered in their beds during a routine bed check. It was soon realized that Sweat and Matt had tunneled out of the prison using power tools and escaped via a manhole on the road outside the prison. On the day of the escape, MSNBC news reported that Mitchell had checked herself into a hospital suffering from “nerves.”
Here’s what you need to know about Joyce Mitchell:
1. She’s Worked at Clinton Correctional Since 2008
Mitchell has worked at Clinton Correctional since 2008. Her husband, Lyle Mitchell, also works at the facility. During Sweat and Matt's time in the prison, Joyce Mitchell worked as a supervisor in the prison tailor shop over Sweat and Matt. According to CBS News:
David Sweat, 34, and Richard Matt, 48, were reportedly held in an “honor block,” allowing them to spend more time out of their cells and in a shop where they had access to tools.
Government officials have confirmed that Mitchell, who checked herself into a hospital on Saturday, the day of the escape, suffering from “nerves”, is currently being questioned by police but stressed that she is not under arrest.
2. Sweat or Matt Stole the Tools
(New York State Police / Topix)
According to NY Daily News, either Sweat or Matt snuck power tools into their cell via a guitar case to aid in their escape.
Matt, 48, and Sweat, 34, were in adjoining cells. Using hacksaws, they cut the 3/8-inch-thick steel walls around air vents near the heads of their cots to form man-size openings they could slip through. They kept the vents in place to avoid detection. The paint on the walls is so irregular and chipped that it was impossible to tell they had been tampered with, the sources said.
3. Their Getaway Ride Was a No-Show
Checkpoints have been set-up around Dannemora, suggesting that police believe that Sweat and Matt may still be in the area. Police have stated that they don’t believe that the convicted killers’ getaway ride showed up. It was not stated if Mitchell was the duo’s ride out of town.
4. They Are Considered Dangerous
Sweat is currently serving a life sentence without parole for the murder of a sheriff’s deputy in 2002. Sweat and accomplice Kevin Nabinger pled guilty to the murder of Deputy Sheriff Kevin J. Tarsia in Kirkwood, New York in September 2003. Binghamton’s WBNG states that a plea deal allowed both Sweat and Nabinger to avoid a possible death penalty.
Sweat was transferred from a Broome County jail following his sentence in October 2003 to Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York.
Matt is serving a life sentence without parole for murdering and dismembering his former boss.
Clinton Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison. The facility dates back to 1844, and according to the Village of Dannemora website, the town grew out of the prison’s needs. The Clinton Correctional Facility is the largest and third oldest maximum security prison in New York state.
5. Mitchell Has Not Commented
Neither Joyce Mitchell or her husband Lyle have commented on the case.
