Two back in custody after Barry County Jail escape
June 5, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
Two inmates are back in custody after escaping the Barry County Jail early Tuesday, June 4, morning around 2:30 a.m. According to Barry County Sheriff Department Major Leonard Collins, chief deputy, the two men escaped custody after damaging jail property and were back in custody around two hours after.
The two inmates, Charles Love and Matthew Whittenburg, were housed in jail for unrelated offenses. According to Collins, the two knocked a hole in the wall behind the toilet in the cell and crawled through the hollow part of the wall before climbing into the ceiling. Collins continued, "After getting into the ceiling, they made their way over to the awning and kicked out the metal on the awning and let themselves out."
This was between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Then, two different tips led officers to Love and Whittenburg's location in a residence on Mill Street in Cassville. Collins said, "They only got about eight blocks from the jail and were hiding."
Initially, officers were directed to a residence on Mill Street before another tip sent them to a residence on Main Street. The two were located at the residence on Main Street.
Collins said, "They were taken in without incident." They were captured around 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
"We will be requesting a felony property damage to the jail and escape from custody," Collins said.
No charges had been filed as of time of press.
Collins said he does not anticipate any changes in jail security in the future to prevent similar situations. He said, "The hole will be fixed, but there isn't really a way to prevent that other than keeping a closer watch."
Love had been in the Barry County Jail since April 24, 2019, on no bond and was being held for one count of child molestation in the first degree in 2017, one count of tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution from 2017, one count of possession of a controlled substance in 2018, and one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in 2018.
Whittenburg had been held in the Barry County Jail since June 24, 2018, on a $35,000 bond for one two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree with no sexual contact, one count of domestic assault in the second degree, probation violation of stealing $750 or more from 2017, probation violation of possession of a controlled substance, one count of damage to jail property and failure to appear on theft by receiving.
The Barry County Sheriff's Department was aided by the Cassville Police Department.
Charlea Estes-Jones
Two inmates are back in custody after escaping the Barry County Jail early Tuesday, June 4, morning around 2:30 a.m. According to Barry County Sheriff Department Major Leonard Collins, chief deputy, the two men escaped custody after damaging jail property and were back in custody around two hours after.
The two inmates, Charles Love and Matthew Whittenburg, were housed in jail for unrelated offenses. According to Collins, the two knocked a hole in the wall behind the toilet in the cell and crawled through the hollow part of the wall before climbing into the ceiling. Collins continued, "After getting into the ceiling, they made their way over to the awning and kicked out the metal on the awning and let themselves out."
This was between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Then, two different tips led officers to Love and Whittenburg's location in a residence on Mill Street in Cassville. Collins said, "They only got about eight blocks from the jail and were hiding."
Initially, officers were directed to a residence on Mill Street before another tip sent them to a residence on Main Street. The two were located at the residence on Main Street.
Collins said, "They were taken in without incident." They were captured around 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
"We will be requesting a felony property damage to the jail and escape from custody," Collins said.
No charges had been filed as of time of press.
Collins said he does not anticipate any changes in jail security in the future to prevent similar situations. He said, "The hole will be fixed, but there isn't really a way to prevent that other than keeping a closer watch."
Love had been in the Barry County Jail since April 24, 2019, on no bond and was being held for one count of child molestation in the first degree in 2017, one count of tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution from 2017, one count of possession of a controlled substance in 2018, and one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia in 2018.
Whittenburg had been held in the Barry County Jail since June 24, 2018, on a $35,000 bond for one two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree with no sexual contact, one count of domestic assault in the second degree, probation violation of stealing $750 or more from 2017, probation violation of possession of a controlled substance, one count of damage to jail property and failure to appear on theft by receiving.
The Barry County Sheriff's Department was aided by the Cassville Police Department.
