NY Prison Break: Exclusive First Look Inside Cabin Where Richard Matt Hunkered Down
Exclusive first look at one of the places the escaped convict hid from police.
— -- While escaped prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweat were on the run in upstate New York, they found several places to hide in the Adirondack wilderness.
This hunting cabin, the inside of which is being revealed for the first time, is where authorities said Matt spent some time after separating from Sweat.
ABC News’ “20/20” was given exclusive access inside the cabin in Malone, New York, to show what it was like when Matt used it to hid from law enforcement.
On June 20, six days prior to when authorities say Matt was at the cabin, police confirmed a tip that a resident in Mountain View, New York, 22 miles away from Malone, had caught sight of Matt and Sweat running out of a different hunting cabin, and law enforcement narrowed their search. Police suspect the murderers may have actually broken into additional cabins along their way to gather supplies and to rest.
Then, on June 26, a resident in Malone was checking on his own hunting cabin -- the one featured here -- when he noticed something was out of place.
“He noticed a bottle of grape gin sitting here on the counter and some of it was actually spilled,” said New York State police Maj. Charles Guess, who was leading the search. “[He] confirmed nobody touched the gin; probably time to call the state police.”
As investigators searched the second cabin, they heard shots ring out nearby. Police said Matt had fired shots at a passing vehicle less than a quarter-mile away in an attempt to carjack it. A full alert was sounded and law enforcement descended on the area.
Matt was shot and killed by authorities three hours later, less than a half-mile from the cabin. Sweat was captured alive on June 28 in Constable, New York, about 40 miles away from the prison. He is currently being held at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York.
