By Jean Cole
The News Courier
ATHENS, Ala. — A Limestone County jury on Tuesday convicted a work-release prisoner’s off-duty co-worker of aiding in his escape by giving him a ride to see a woman acquaintance on his lunch break.
A five-man, seven-woman jury took about 30 minutes to convict Freddie Mack Spry, 60, of 22995 Slate Road, Athens, of second-degree facilitating escape, Limestone County District Attorney Brian Jones said Tuesday. He will be sentenced May 24.
Assistant District Attorneys Matt Huggins and Gray West tried the case in Limestone County Circuit Court.
“I would like to thank the jury for their diligence, attention and dedication to the citizens of Limestone County,” Jones said. “This case was an issue of public safety, which my office takes very seriously. I would also like to thank Matt and Gray for their hard work in getting this case tried to a successful conclusion.”
Spry, who was initially charged in August 2014, was accused of giving work-release prisoner Joshua Allen Dean of Harvest a ride to the woman’s home. Dean, who was assigned to cut grass in Athens, was charged with third-degree escape. That case is still pending.
Limestone County Sheriff’s Chief Investigator Stanley McNatt said at the time of the incident Dean left his assigned work area and went to a female friend’s home inside the city of Athens. Spry gave Dean a ride to the home and returned later to pick him up, McNatt said.
“We received information that the inmate had been seeing a female on his lunch break, so Lt. Roy Brooks (a corrections supervisor) was observing the location and saw Mr. Spry come back to pick up Dean.”
Brooks detained Dean and brought him back to the Limestone County Jail, with Spry following in his vehicle, McNatt said.
Copyright 2016 The News Courier