By Will Healey
Chattanooga Times
CHATTANOOGA — As of this afternoon, an escaped inmate from the Grundy County Jail is still on the loose.
Grundy County Sheriff Clint Shrum said deputies were still looking for Kenneth Jason Franklin, who escaped during a worship service at the jail Wednesday night.
“We have some really good leads, but we don’t have him yet,” Shrum said.
Franklin was one of seven inmates attending a worship service in a separate building on the jail’s property Wednesday night. Shrum said a corrections officer had left to use the restroom, leaving the facilitator of the worship service alone with the inmates. Franklin asked to use the restroom himself, and the facilitator let him.
“Our facilitators are trained to know that we don’t let inmates move about the property unsupervised,” Shrum said. “I don’t know why the facilitator didn’t get on the radio and request an escort for the inmate.”
Shrum said Franklin escaped through a part of the jail’s fence that had become detached from a pole. Shrum said they’re addressing the fence problem, which is being fixed on Monday. He said part of the problem was the fact that with a new county jail under construction, a lot of the existing jail’s issues are going unaddressed. He said the issue with the facilitator not following protocol is being handled internally.
Shrum advised the public to be on the lookout for Franklin, but sounded confident they’d apprehend him soon.
“We’ll get him,” Shrum said. “And we’ll be better in the long run.”
Franklin is a 43 year-old white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 5 foot 9 inches and weighs 150 pounds.
According to a post on the Grundy County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page, Franklin had been in jail since April 9 on a violation of community corrections charge, as well as felony evading, reckless endangerment and assault with a motor vehicle. He was also being held on possible charges out of Warren County stemming from a pursuit.
The post also said Franklin has not had a history of violence, but advised the public not to try to apprehend him if they see him.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, call 911 or the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office at 931-692-3466.