Richard Matt & David Sweat Prison Escape
Convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility using power tools smuggled by a prison employee. Matt was killed and Sweat was recaptured after 23 days.
On June 6, 2015, convicted murderers Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 35, escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in Dannemora, New York. They cut through cell walls and steam pipes using power tools, then crawled through tunnels to a manhole outside the prison walls.
The escape was aided by prison employee Joyce Mitchell, who had developed romantic relationships with both men. She smuggled hacksaw blades, chisels, and other tools inside frozen hamburger meat. She was supposed to be their getaway driver but backed out.
A massive 23-day manhunt involving over 1,000 law enforcement officers combed the dense woods of northern New York. On June 26, Matt was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent near Malone, NY after failing to comply with orders.
Sweat was shot and captured on June 28, about two miles from the Canadian border. Joyce Mitchell pleaded guilty to promoting prison contraband and was sentenced to 2-7 years.
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