Escaped-killer hunt still focused near Lee County prison

The search for a convicted killer who fled from his work detail near the East Arkansas Regional Correctional Facility in Lee County continued Tuesday as officials focused their hunt on areas around the prison.

Police blocked Arkansas 79 and Arkansas 131 near the prison in Brickeys, and teams searched the area Tuesday afternoon, said Department of Correction spokesman Solomon Graves.

Lloyd Jones, 40, of Lavaca, walked away from a construction and demolition crew about noon Monday. He and other prisoners on a work unit were about 2 miles west of the prison, Graves said.

Jones pleaded guilty in August 2012 to first-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Angela Allen. He also was convicted of abuse of a corpse and possession of material depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.

Police said he killed the girl and stuffed her body in a barrel and buried her in Sebastian County.

He was sentenced to 60 years as a habitual offender, meaning he was ordered to serve the entire sentence. He had a previous rape conviction.

Jones apparently walked away unnoticed from the work crew, Graves said. He was not shackled or handcuffed, and at least one armed guard was with Jones and other inmates. Jones was missing for about an hour before his absence was noticed.

Graves said he did not believe Jones had outside help in his escape.

"We don't believe anyone drove up and got him," he said. "We believe he escaped on foot."

The Arkansas State Police assisted in the search Monday evening and Tuesday, state police spokesman Bill Sadler said.

The Arkansas National Guard employed a UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter in the search Monday evening, but it was grounded temporarily because of inclement weather, said Joel Lynch, a spokesman for the National Guard.

Guardsmen remained on standby Tuesday, he said.

The prison is just east of the Mississippi River and about 10 miles from Mississippi. A dispatcher at the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in Jackson said she was not notified of Jones' escape, and patrol officers were not on the lookout for him Tuesday.

Graves said searchers focused on areas near the prison. He said the Department of Correction received tips about Jones' whereabouts, but none had panned out by Tuesday evening.

Ann Hadley, postmaster of the Brickeys post office, said she saw many police officers Monday but a smaller presence Tuesday. The post office is across Arkansas 79 from the prison.

"Everyone is concerned whenever there is a prison break," Hadley said. "This is the first one I've dealt with in the year I've been here."

She said she did not have any customers stop by the post office Tuesday, perhaps out of fear of leaving their homes while Jones was loose.

Rangers at the nearby Mississippi River State Park patrolled remote areas searching for Jones, said Deborah Swiney, a manager at the park's office.

"Our rangers are aware of the situation," she said. "People are still coming here. It's business as usual."

Jones was classified as an I-C inmate, which allowed him to leave the prison on work crews and be supervised by armed guards. Graves said Class I status is the highest of four classifications an inmate can attain through good behavior. The "C" designation means the prisoner required armed security at all times.

Jones earned the classification based upon his "discipline record" while incarcerated for four years, Graves said.

Colleen Allen, Angela Allen's grandmother who adopted her, said Jones' escape has brought back memories of her granddaughter's slaying.

"I want to know how this happened," she said. "I'm furious. How was he able to be outside the prison like that? He is a sick individual."

Allen said she believes Jones had help in his escape.

"You don't just walk away like that," she said. "I think he's out of the area. I can't explain it. It's just a feeling, but I bet he's not around the prison."

Allen did not want to say where she lived, fearing Jones may try to find family members.

Graves said the state police will investigate the escape to determine whether Jones had any help from prison guards. He said the Department of Correction will investigate as well.

"We will conduct a criminal investigation to determine if [Jones] had any conspirators," Graves said.

Information for this article was contributed by Debra Hale-Shelton of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

State Desk on 06/15/2016