Joyce Mitchell Pleads Guilty in Escape of 2 Killers

[Historic NY]

Source: U.S. News & World Report

oyce Mitchell, a tailor shop instructor at Clinton Correctional Facility, was jailed shortly after the elaborately staged June 6 escape of Richard Matt and David Sweat. Matt was shot and killed by searchers June 26, about 30 miles west of the prison; Sweat was captured near the Canadian border two days later and sent to another prison.

The 51-year-old woman, who cooperated with investigators, wept as she pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony, and misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal facilitation.

Mitchell faces a sentence of 2 1/3 years to 7 years in prison under the terms of a plea deal with prosecutors. A sentencing date was not announced.

She was suspended without pay from her job when she was arrested June 12 and has been in jail since then.

Mitchell admitted providing hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch tool and a screwdriver to Matt. Authorities say she became close to the pair, agreed to be their getaway driver and even discussed killing her husband. But she backed out at the last moment, forcing Matt and Sweat to flee on foot after they emerged from a manhole near the maximum-security prison.

Authorities said she smuggled the hacksaw blades and other tools into the prison by hiding them in frozen meat she placed in a refrigerator in the tailor shop. They said corrections officer Gene Palmer then took the meat to Sweat and Matt, who were housed in a section where inmates are allowed to cook their meals

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/07/28/prison-employee-accused-of-helping-2-killers-escape-in-court

[cosmicone]

1. Boggles my mind

what people are willing to do and risk for love and hate....

[geek tragedy]

2. From employee to resident nt

[HeiressofBickworth]

3. I have suspected from the beginning

that Ms. Mitchell's failure to show up with the get-away car actually saved her life. My suspicion was that Matt and Sweat would have killed her and taken the car. Why would they want to have a 51-year-old woman tagging along as they tried to make their escape. She's probably lucky she changed her mind. But of course, her other actions have landed her in jail. But alive.

[mackerel]

4. Too true about them killing her if they could. I had an aunt who taught at a prison here

in California. She left my Uncle for one of the felons when he got out on parole. He almost beat her to death after a couple of months. She was 50 at the time and he was 24 yrs old. 24 years of marriage ended all for a con.