Five Guards On Leave Over Prison Escape

(AP)  Five prison guards were placed on leave after two convicted killers from the Cummins Unit in Grady escaped by putting on jail guard uniforms and walking to a waiting car.

Correction Department Spokeswoman Dina Tyler said Monday the five officers are on unpaid leave while the department investigates the Friday evening escape of Jeffrey Grinder and Calvin Adams. Tyler would not name the five officers, but said they were guarding the entry and exit points of the prison.

Among the jobs for inmates at the Cummins Unit is making uniforms for jail guards and law officers. Video surveillance shows the men put the uniforms on in the prison library after the 6 p.m. headcount and walked out of the prison unchallenged during a shift change less than 20 minutes later, Tyler said.

Grinder and Adams drove away in a car that was waiting for them.

Police have continued to look in southeast Missouri for the convicted killers.

Tyler said the department is investigating how the inmates got the uniforms and were able to leave the prison without anyone noticing something was amiss.

Grinder, 32, and Adams, 39, were each convicted of capital murder and were serving life sentences without parole.

Correction Department spokeswoman Dina Tyler says the men were spotted Saturday in two southeast Missouri communities, Hayti and Braggadocio. She said Monday that the agency believes those sightings were legitimate. Other reported sightings in Texas and Arkansas have been discounted by investigators.

Tyler says Adams has relatives in the Bootheel area and there is no reason to believe the men have moved on.

"We still think the probability is they are in the (southeast Missouri) area," Tyler said Monday.

Grinder and Adams are believed to be traveling together. Tyler said Adams know the southeast Missouri region.

"They could have slipped past us, but we are holding our ground there," Tyler said.

Among the jobs for inmates at the Cummins Unit is making uniforms for jail guards and law officers. Video surveillance shows the men put the uniforms on in the prison library after the 6 p.m. headcount and walked out of the prison unchallenged during a shift change less than 20 minutes later, Tyler said.

Tyler said the agency is investigating how the prisoners got the uniforms.

"We know that they used officer uniforms and they walked out the front," Tyler said. "We don't know where the uniforms came from, but the suspect has to be the garment factory."

Authorities are also trying to find out who left the automobile for the fugitives.

Adams is from Leachville and was convicted of capital murder in 1995 in the 1994, kidnapping and shooting death of banker Richard Austin, 25. Austin's wife was wounded and was able to walk more than a mile for help. Grinder is from Yellville and was convicted of capital murder, aggravated robbery and burglary in the 2003 beating death of Pat Gardner, 77, who lived near Springdale.

Tyler said investigators are still trying to develop information that could lead them to the fugitives. Anyone who knows where Adams and Grinder may be is asked to call authorities.

[mountainzen]

In other news, Correction Department Spokeswoman Dina Tyler said Monday that prisoners will now be working in the courtyard manufacturing personal jet packs to teach them valuable skills they will never need because they are in for life without parole...

[rrozsa]

I think it is wrong to have the prisoners make the law enforcement uniforms. Of course they will get the idea to steal one and pretend to be law enforcement. duuuuuh
Posted by guest173 at 11:49 PM : Jun 1, 2009

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My thoughts exactly. Did they never think that prisoners might get the idea of stealing a couple and putting them on? Did they have any controls at all in place to try to prevent such an occurrence?

[Dgunner]

Less likely to kill anyone else They don't want to draw any more bad attention on law enforcement than they they already have put on themselves. Complacency in thier work attitude has got out of control. The prison mentioned here is in the middle of 7 square miles of flat farm land without a single tree to hide in or behind. This is one of the reasons for complacency among the guards. This should not have been possible to expedite much less succeed. On one hand its BAD news on the other hand it is funny and brings to surface the mentality of the prison employees. Tourism will drop until these men are caught. ow more and more mountain dwelling gun toting rednecks will scouring thier neighborhoods for the bad guys in uniform. Bad time to be a law officer in that area.

[guest173]

I think it is wrong to have the prisoners make the law enforcement uniforms. Of course they will get the idea to steal one and pretend to be law enforcement. duuuuuh

[ubrew12]

Article: "Among the jobs for inmates at the Cummins Unit is making uniforms for jail guards and law officers... the agency is investigating how the prisoners got the uniforms. "

Yes, how WOULD a prisoner get a hold of a uniform in a unit that makes uniforms?? Wouldn't it be safer to have them make guns? Then you could ask: 'where did they get the guns??'

[timothyjo]

obvious luke_4u has never been in prison !!!!!these convicts want your freedom all you have worked for, your family your money they do not deserve freedom... THEY ARE KILLERS. I have been in prison and can deal with these low lifes hopefully society can someday

[timothyjo]

the public is so misinformed on how dangerous the prisons are. even death row in case of national emergency CANNOT keep inmates in!!!!Do you people who beg to warehouse the deranged convicts realize what they will do when that day comes, they are killers and rapist, child molesters, and worse america come to your sences!!

[mljohns00]

Great idea. Have prisoners make guard uniforms.

[luke_4u]

Well, I guess it just goes to show, everybody wants their freedom. I understand that the two escapees are convicted murderers and should be locked up, but I also understand why they escaped. No matter what they've done wrong, everybody wants their freedom.