Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Lorton left in fog by escapes of murderer, second convict Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 15:33:28 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN \HD Lorton left in fog by escapes of murderer, second convict \BY Laurie Kellman \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Two inmates, one a convicted murderer, took advantage of the morning fog yesterday and escaped from the District's prison in Lorton, touching off protests by a correctional officers' union. Kevin Bryant King, 22, and Daleton Horne, 26, tried to fool guards by stuffing pillows and blankets in their beds sometime after 5:50 a.m., then cut holes in two parallel chain-link fences to escape the medium-security prison near Lorton Road, officials said. The inmates abandoned two layers of clothes at Silverbrook Drive and Lorton Road shortly after their escape. That suggests they did not have a getaway car waiting for them, said William Plaut, associate director of institutions for the D.C. Department of Corrections. "If they had someone waiting, they would have gotten into the car and taken off," Mr. Plaut said. "They wouldn't have stopped to change first." Mr. Plaut said officials did not know what the men used to cut the hole in the fences or how they got a 1 1/2-hour head start on the searchers. He said the men were present at the 5:50 a.m. check but were missing from the 7:15 a.m. roll call. The head of the labor union representing D.C. corrections officers blamed the escape on the city. Lorton, he said, is at least four officers short of the force needed to provide adequate protection against escapes. Inmates have "carte blanche to leave whenever they want" at current staffing levels, he said. "It's customary that whenever this happens, the corrections officers are used as scapegoats, and I don't want the public to be misled," said William Dupree, chief officer of Teamsters Local 1714. "This was malfeasance of management, not the fault of an officer." Mr. Dupree said that if an officer is blamed for yesterday's escape, the union will "use whatever means are available to us" to fight the charge, including taking the matter to court. "It's very premature at this point to identify culpability. There was very heavy fog. It's clear fog was a factor," Mr. Plaut said. He appointed a committee to investigate the escape and expects a report and recommendations in a week to 10 days. Several K-9 units from the Department of Corrections, the Fairfax County and state police, the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI searched for the convicts. The morning fog prevented police from using helicopters in the search, Mr. Plaut said. The men were at large last night. King, of the District, was serving 30 years to life for second-degree murder and armed robbery, Mr. Plaut said. Horne, of Detroit, was serving nine to 27 months for attempted robbery. Officials described King as 5 feet 9 inches tall and 145 pounds. Horn is 5 feet 9 inches tall and 165 pounds. Both men are of medium build and complexion. The incident is the latest in a series of escapes and violence at Lorton that union officials and inmate advocacy groups blame on overcrowding and understaffing. Five inmates were stabbed, one fatally, and two guards were injured during one weekend last month at the prison complex. * Kristan Metzler contributed to this report. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM