Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Everything We Know So Far About the Two Murderers Who Escaped from Prison In New York
Cops Hope Dirty Underwear, Bloody Socks, and Peanut Butter Will Lead Them To The Escaped Convicts
Was There a Corrupt Heroin Ring Inside The Prison Richard Matt and David Sweat Escaped From?There might never be tabloid fodder as juicy as last month's prison break in Dannemora, New York. Although it was obviously a little nerve-wracking when two convicted murderers—Richard Matt and David Sweat—broke loose on June 6, the backstory proved to be stranger than fiction and only a little less ridiculous than the typical episode of Jerry Springer.Joyce Mitchell, a 51-year-old employee at the Clinton Correctional Facility, was reportedly seduced by Sweat and then by Matt—who turned out to have both an artist's soul and a mondo dick. After Matt apparently said he'd help murder Mitchell's husband and run away with her, she decided to sneak the men blades, chisels, and other tools in hamburger meat. When she backed out last-minute from her planned role as the duo's getaway driver, a wild manhunt ensued that ultimately ended with Matt going out in a blaze of drunken glory.Now that Matt is dead (and has solidified himself as a candidate for the most interesting man in the world) and Sweat has been recaptured, Mitchell has pleaded guilty to a first-degree charge of promoting prison contraband and fourth-degree criminal facilitation, which means she faces up to seven years behind bars herself.The escape's fallout will envelop more than the middle-aged woman who's been branded "Shaw-skank" by the New York Post. Last month, state officials suggested that Mitchell's collusion with the killers hinted at more widespread corruption within the maximum-security prison. Twelve people—including Clinton's superintendent—were placed on leave as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) looked into the possibility of a heroin-trafficking ring there.Follow Allie Conti on Twitter.