Inmate injured in escape attempt dies

A 29-year-old inmate injured in an escape attempt Saturday at the Varner Unit in Grady died Tuesday night in Little Rock, the Arkansas Department of Correction said in a statement.

Vann Tucker died shortly before 9 p.m. at UAMS Medical Center.

Officials say Tucker attempted to escape Saturday morning, suffering head trauma after clearing an internal fence and then attempting to scale a "lethal fence" that carried 5,200 volts of electricity.

Tucker was serving a life sentence on 2009 convictions in Pope County of aggravated robbery, habitual offender and aggravated residential burglary. He previously was sentenced to 20 years on a second-degree murder charge, spending about seven years in prison before being paroled in 2008.

Tucker previously escaped from the Grimes Unit in Jackson County in 2002, authorities said, noting he made it out in the back of a dump truck but was quickly recaptured.

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