On Sunday the 23rd of July 2017, 12 inmates escaped from Walker County Jail in Alabama. Their method of escape? Peanut Butter. As ridiculous as it may sound, these 12 men managed to break free from their chains with little more than a jar of peanut butter and some blankets. 11 of the 12 fugitives were recaptured within 12 hours of escaping, but the twelfth man evaded authorities until Tuesday evening. Now, however, all these men with charges ranging from drug abuse to attempted murder, are back behind bars.
Method of Escape
How exactly did the men use peanut butter to escape?
The inmates covered the number beside an exit door with peanut butter. They shaped the peanut butter in the same way one would shape clay, making it resemble the numbers that appeared above cell doors. Thereafter, they called for a guard to come and open the door, claiming that they were ready to go back into their cell. The guard didn't see the door number indicating that it was an exit door because the peanut butter effectively hid the original number. So he mistakenly opened an exit door, allowing 12 men to race past him.
The escapees then threw blankets and prison clothes on the razor wire fence to protect themselves as they climbed over and fled. The guard likened the experience to watching "crazy foxes" run away.
Recapturing the fugitives
11 of the 12 escapees chose to hide out in the state of Alabama. These men were all recaptured within 12 hours of escaping. The twelfth man, 24-year-old Brady Kilpatrick managed to flee the state and hide out for two days. He was captured on Tuesday evening in Tequesta, Florida.
Looking forward
Alabama's Sheriff Underwood said the following at a press conference, "We’ve got some evil people down here.
They scheme all the time to con us and our employees here at the jail. You have to stay on your toes. This is one time we slipped up. I’m not going to make any excuses. It was a human error that caused this to happen."
Of course though, with 240 rather dangerous inmates, it is important that the Walker County Jail ensures that this doesn't happen again.
The prison has added that although the guard responsible for this chaos was still fairly new to the job, he will be disciplined accordingly. Furthermore, the prison will provide more training for its employees and is looking for different methods of identifying cells and doors so that such an event would not be possible in the future. Talk about a wacky escape!
