Three inmates have escaped from an East Tennessee jail, including a man suspected of murder.
According to WKRN, three men escaped from custody inside Sullivan County Jail on Friday (February 4) morning, sending police on a hunt to find the inmates. The exact time they escaped was not released. A spokesperson for the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office said authorities believe the inmates managed to escape through an HVAC air vent in the ceiling of their cell.
The three inmates include:
- Johnny Shane Brown: age 50, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 200 pounds, gray hair and brown eyes
- Tobias Wayne Carr: age 38, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 160 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes
- Timothy Allen Sarver: age 45, 6 feet 2 inches tall, 235 pounds, strawberry blond hair and green eyes
"Our goal at this point is to locate these individuals and bring them back to jail," said Capt. Andy Seabolt. "Obviously, security measures failed, and we are investigating to see exactly what occurred."
The sheriff's office took to its official Facebook page Friday to warn residents of the threat. They also announced that the U.S. Marshals Service has offered a $5,000 reward per inmate, or $15,000 total, for information leading to the location and capture of the escapees.
According to the sheriff's office, the inmates are charged with a variety of violent and non-violent crimes. One of the men is also charged with second-degree murder.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, all three inmates were still on the run.
Anyone with information regarding the escaped inmates' location is asked to call 911 immediately. Authorities warn that the men should not be approached.