New Info on Escaped Inmates
By: Jamie Kuras
Updated: March 7, 2011
ODESSA -- You may remember when two inmates escaped from the Ector County Detention center six weeks ago.
There's new information on how those same two inmates were able to do it again over the weekend.
Ricky Lavell Taylor and Robert Steven Dudley escaped for the second time in just over a month.
Since their last escape, they were put in separation cells closer to the officer's closet. Officers also patrolled the area more.
But that still wasn't able to stop them.
This time they had a hacksaw blade to cut the bars in their shower area. But they didn't act alone.
"We may have had somebody that actually helped them and provided them with something to be able to get out the way they got out," said Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson.
Was it an inside job?
That news does not sit well with people in the area. Especially those at schools near the jail.
"We advocate safety," said Travis Elementary Assistant Principal Patrick Poe. "We take the place of the parents in their absence during the day. All of our students are children so we want to ensure their safety and it's worrisome when something like that happens."
The sheriff says he thinks he knows all of their tricks to getting out. More changes are being discussed at this time to ensure no inmate is able to escape.
Only one thing is for certain. They need to do a better job.
"I'm not real good on guarantees cause I don't guarantee anything," said Donaldson. "But I'm gonna promise as much as I can that this will never happen again."
A criminal investigation is being done to determine who helped these two escape.
It could be another inmate who was out on work release that gave them the hacksaw blade. Or in a worse case scenario, another officer.
There's new information on how those same two inmates were able to do it again over the weekend.
Ricky Lavell Taylor and Robert Steven Dudley escaped for the second time in just over a month.
Since their last escape, they were put in separation cells closer to the officer's closet. Officers also patrolled the area more.
But that still wasn't able to stop them.
This time they had a hacksaw blade to cut the bars in their shower area. But they didn't act alone.
"We may have had somebody that actually helped them and provided them with something to be able to get out the way they got out," said Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson.
Was it an inside job?
That news does not sit well with people in the area. Especially those at schools near the jail.
"We advocate safety," said Travis Elementary Assistant Principal Patrick Poe. "We take the place of the parents in their absence during the day. All of our students are children so we want to ensure their safety and it's worrisome when something like that happens."
The sheriff says he thinks he knows all of their tricks to getting out. More changes are being discussed at this time to ensure no inmate is able to escape.
Only one thing is for certain. They need to do a better job.
"I'm not real good on guarantees cause I don't guarantee anything," said Donaldson. "But I'm gonna promise as much as I can that this will never happen again."
A criminal investigation is being done to determine who helped these two escape.
It could be another inmate who was out on work release that gave them the hacksaw blade. Or in a worse case scenario, another officer.
