OKEMAH, Okla. — An inmate serving a life sentence escaped from the Okfuskee County Jail by tearing a sink from the wall and slipping through a damaged plumbing chase — and his absence went undetected for five days, according to the sheriff’s office.
Joshua Butler escaped the jail on Dec. 20, just four days after being booked into the facility, but jail staff did not realize he was missing until five days later on Christmas Day, Okfuskee County Sheriff Logan Manshack said. A manhunt was launched once Butler was confirmed missing.
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After searching for about a week, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers located a vehicle connected to Butler in Hughes County on Dec. 31. Butler fled the vehicle armed with a rifle and was fatally shot during a confrontation with troopers, News On 6 reports.
Butler had been transferred to the Okfuskee County Jail on Dec. 16 while awaiting a court appearance in Hughes County, according to News On 6. Although he was serving a life sentence for multiple convictions, he was temporarily housed at the county facility, the sheriff said.
How the escape happened
Photos taken inside the jail show where investigators believe Butler removed a wall-mounted sink during the overnight hours, creating access to a narrow plumbing chase. From there, he exited through a rear door secured by a lock that had been compromised by water damage.
“We had a water leak on the inside that damaged the lock and froze it open basically,” Manshack told News On 6.
The sheriff said the lock had been an ongoing maintenance issue for more than a month. Replacement parts were difficult to obtain because the lock model is no longer manufactured.
“The way the lock was frozen open, more or less he just busted through it,” Manshack said. “You have an exterior wall, the plumbing chase inside — which is very narrow — and then the interior wall. That’s what he chiseled through.”
Jail infrastructure concerns
Manshack said the Okfuskee County Jail is only about five years old, but several security components are already outdated. The facility replaced its security camera system last year and is now facing the need to replace all door locks.
“If one lock is obsolete, all of them are going to be,” Manshack said. “What we’re trying to do now is bring in a company to replace them all at the same time.”
The sheriff said he has invited an outside agency to conduct a full review of jail policies, procedures and infrastructure. Findings from that review will guide next steps.
“I believe in being transparent with the public,” Manshack said. “I don’t want to hide anything. I want people to know exactly what happened, how it happened, and make sure those issues are addressed.”
