Felon darts from courthouse to freedom
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The defendant, Michael Eugene Wilkerson, 30, was wearing street clothes and was unshackled when he took advantage of a momentary lapse in security just before 7 p.m. Wednesday, creeping out of the courtroom and disappearing into the night.
“There’s no doubt somebody messed up,” said Sheriff Jackie Matheny. “There’s no excuse for that and we’ll be looking into what happened and how we can ensure it doesn’t happen again. Any disciplinary action will be an in-house thing which we’ll take care of.”
According to Matheny, inmates are normally shackled after the jury leaves the courtroom following a trial. However, given the late hour of the trial, Wilkerson was given a sandwich for supper at the defense table in the circuit courtroom since he was to be transported back to the state penitentiary. Wilkerson was in street clothes because he had just stood trial. Defendants in criminal matters appear in court in street clothes instead of inmate attire so their appearance does not prejudice the jury against them.
Matheny said Wilkerson made his getaway while one officer was putting away evidence and the other officer walked over to the adjoining judge’s chambers to speak to the judge. When the officers returned, Wilkerson was gone.
“They just turned their backs for a minute,” Matheny said. “Both these officers have good records but, like I said, there’s no excuse for what happened.”
Both county and city lawmen descended upon downtown minutes after the escape, scouring the downtown area for any sign of the escaped inmate. The sheriff’s department helicopter was used to search building roofs and assist ground personnel in the manhunt. At the same time, lawmen were inundated with calls from nearby residents, who had heard of the escape on police scanners, reporting movements outside their homes.
Despite the massive manhunt, Wilkerson was able to elude capture and remained at-large at press time Thursday evening. However, Matheny said he believes Wilkerson is not dangerous, but, given the fact he faces up to 60 years in prison, the sheriff advises the public to report any sightings of the inmate to authorities.
“I’ve known him since he was a kid and he hasn’t been a violent person,” Matheny said. “He does have a lot of drug convictions and he’s looking at a long sentence.”
According to District Attorney General Dale Potter, whose office had just convicted Wilkerson, any person who faces up to 60 years in prison could pose a threat to the public given the desperate nature of his situation. In addition to the maximum 60 years, Wilkerson could face up to six additional years for the escape.
Potter says he intends to prosecute any person aiding and abetting Wilkerson, or giving him shelter. Such actions are a felony offense.
“We will seek jail time for anybody we find out has assisted him,” said Potter.
Wilkerson is an African-American, standing about six feet tall, weighing in the area of 160 pounds. Authorities are unsure if he has left the county.