NY Prison Escape: Men Hid in Remote Hunting Shack, Police Say
DNA results from items in the cabin were a match, officials said.
— -- A hunting shack is the latest focus of the massive manhunt for two escaped prisoners after a witness said he saw at least one man flee the site.
John Stockwell said he was visiting the cabin in the woods on Saturday morning with his dog and noticed signs of entry.
“We have developed evidence that suspects may have spent time in a cabin in this area,” Major Charles Guess of the New York State Police said.
Once Stockwell began shouting, he said he saw at least one person running from the cabin. Stockwell reported the incident to authorities.
Police conducted a field test for DNA on items left behind in the cabin by the escapees, Richard Matt and David Sweat, and results were a match, authorities said.
“It’s a confirmed lead for us. It has generated a massive law enforcement response as you can see,” Guess said.
Police are still conducting checkpoints and inspecting every car that drives through the area.
Stockwell works as a corrections officer at a facility in the area, but not Clinton Correctional Facility, where Matt and Sweat escaped from more than two weeks ago.
The cabin –- located about 20 miles west of the correctional facility -- is a share reportedly used by several corrections officers.
There is a $50,000 reward from New York State for information leading to each man’s capture and a $25,000 reward from the U.S. Marshals Service. The two men have been placed on the 15 most wanted fugitives list.
Police still want the public to be vigilant and report any possible sightings or anything out of the ordinary.
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