Crime & Safety
Stillwater Prison Lockdown Caused by Breakout Attempt
An inmate was planning a breakout attempt, but his plan was discovered by prison officials, according to the Star Tribune.
New information recently released reveals the Stillwater prison lockdown that occurred last month was prompted by the plan of an escape attempt from one of the inmates, according to recent reports.
The Star Tribune reports that Department of Corrections officials discovered on July 15 that inmate William R. St. John, 45, was planning an escape with the help of at least one accomplice.
The prison went into lockdown mode on July 25, where prison officials said "no specific incident prompted the lockdown." The lockdown lasted almost a week.
When prison officials received the tip, they searched St. John's cell, which yielded a suicide note. The suicide note was part of St. John's escape plan, the Star Tribune reports.
St. John's phone calls had also been monitored and revealed an accomplice known as "Billie Joe" planned to help him out. St. John had planned a fake suicide attempt, which involved ingesting razor blades or prescription drugs. Then Billie Joe - and possibly other accomplices - would wait for the ambulance to pass by when they tried to pick up St. John, according to the Star Tribune.
Officials were able to conduct their search for evidence of the breakout plan during the lockdown.
Related:
- Lockdown in Effect at Stillwater Prison
- Stillwater Prison Negligence Led to Inmate's Paralysis, Lawsuit Alleges
- Stillwater Prison Still on Lockdown, According to MN Dept. of Corrections
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