2 Inmates Altered Badges to Walk Away From Jail

Two inmates who escaped from County Jail downtown Monday by walking away from a work detail were not authorized to work outside and altered their identification badges to get past a civilian jail employee, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.

The two inmates, Steven Michael Walker and Wayne Allen Thrash, both 27, walked away from a loading dock outside the jail about 3:10 a.m., according to Deputy George Gardner.

Aided by the altered identification, Walker and Thrash were escorted to the dock by a civilian employee who believed the badges were authentic, Gardner said, adding that Walker and Thrash ran from the dock and are still at large.

Also at large are John J. Pugh, 37, and Leon Morris, 35. Morris had been sentenced Friday for killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son. Pugh was sentenced in August on burglary and escape charges. The two escaped from the jail Sunday after descending from the roof on a makeshift rope to the courthouse.

Of the two escapes, Gardner said the rooftop incident was by far the most unusual. Although official figures were not available, Gardner said it has been several years since an inmate has escaped from inside the jail.

Such escapes “are few and far between,” he said, noting that most occur outside the facility, usually while inmates are being transported.

Gardner said security reasons prevent him from revealing information on the altered identification badges. He did say outside clearance is normally restricted to sentenced inmates with fewer than 60 days to serve and no other court proceedings pending.

Gardner said that neither Walker, who was being held on charges of false impersonation, possession of stolen property and car theft, nor Thrash, being held on grand and petty theft charges, was in custody for violent crimes. However, both should be considered desperate, he said, and caution should be used if either is sighted.