By Felicia Krieg
Press-Republican
PLATTSBURGH — Joyce Mitchell, who is charged with aiding two murderers in their prison break, appeared relieved to see her husband, Lyle, on Tuesday morning.
“He appeared pretty calm,” Clinton County Sheriff David Favro told the Press-Republican.
“He went in, sat down, and they conversed.”
Mrs. Mitchell seemed to be comforted by the visit, Favro said.
“She appeared somewhat relieved that he was there.”
DREW ATTENTION
Mrs. Mitchell, who has been suspended from her job as a supervisor in the Clinton Correctional Facility tailor shop, is accused of slipping small tools to Richard Matt and David Sweat, who escaped June 6 from the Dannemora facility and are the focus of a massive manhunt.
Just like every visitor to the jail, Mr. Mitchell was searched and had to pass through a metal detector before taking a seat in the general visiting area, where two guards stand watch, Favro said.
“There were other people that were conducting visits at the same time.”
Some of the inmates were interested in Mr. Mitchell’s visit and paid attention to the couple, the sheriff said.
“They certainly knew, and they were all looking.”
Mr. Mitchell finished his visit at about 9:15 p.m.
He has not returned messages left for him by the Press-Republican.
BULLET-PROOF VEST
Mrs. Mitchell was lgoing to be taken back to the Rensselaer County Jail in Troy, likely sometime on Tuesday, Favro said.
“This gets her out of the immediate circle.”
The move was made for security purposes and to reduce distractions and tension, he said earlier, because some members of the Sheriff’s Department are involved in search efforts.
Favro said Mitchell will continue to be outfitted with a bulletproof vest at her court appearances.
“Any high-profile case like this, you don’t know what the reaction is (from) the public. You don’t know who is out there.”
And while correction officers who take Clinton County Jail inmates to and from court don’t always wear bullet-proof vests, they will, for the same reason, be wearing them when escorting Mrs. Mitchell, Favro said.
PHOTO OP
Certainly, there is great interest by the public in the woman who, officials have said, developed friendships with the two convicted murderers.
When she left Plattsburgh City Court on Monday, bystanders took photos of her with their smartphones as if she were a celebrity.
The sheriff said he didn’t have any information about a possible sexual relationship between either of the inmates and Mrs. Mitchell.
Since Mrs. Mitchell’s attorney, Stephen Johnston, waived a preliminary hearing at her court appearance Monday, the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office is tasked with indicting her within 45 days.
NO JAIL INTERROGATION
Mrs. Mitchell was booked into the jail after her arraignment Friday night, taken to the Troy facility on Saturday and then returned for a court appearance on Monday.
No police investigators have visited her during those periods for further questioning, Favro said
Mr. Mitchell has been questioned by police in the case; Clinton County District Attorney has said investigators have not ruled out the possibility that he might have known about his wife’s alleged involvement in the case, at some point, though he is not suspected of helping her.
He has not been charged in connection with the case.
‘LEAVE A TRAIL’
Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie has said that Mrs. Mitchell intended to drive Matt and Sweat to an undisclosed location seven hours away and to stay wit them.
He would not discuss whether the plan was to kill her husband.
On Tuesday, Favro referred questions about that to State Police but said “that would almost be foolish on their part because they’re leaving trace evidence.
“It (a murder plan) seems kind of odd because then they’re just going to leave a trail.”