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Inmate arrested after escaping custody due to ‘door malfunction,’ Georgia police say

Homicide suspect Kevin David Lenix Wilson who escaped custody in Effingham County, Georgia was arrested Jan. 6, authorities confirmed.
Homicide suspect Kevin David Lenix Wilson who escaped custody in Effingham County, Georgia was arrested Jan. 6, authorities confirmed. Getty Images/iStockphoto

UPDATE: Escaped inmate Kevin Wilson has been arrested, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Authorities found Wilson at a hotel in Savannah on Jan. 6.

Original story:

A homicide suspect is still on the run after escaping custody in coastal Georgia earlier this week, authorities say.

Kevin David Lenix Wilson, 32, broke out around 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3, after a “suspected door malfunction” at the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office where he was being held, according to the sheriff’s office.

He gained access to an unsecured area, deputies said, and escaped.

The department said it is working with several agencies to track down Wilson, who was jailed on charges stemming from a traffic stop and chase in October 2020, per the sheriff’s office. Wilson had also previously been indicted on multiple charges, including three counts of malice murder, for a separate incident in Savannah that same year.

“He is considered to be dangerous and should not be approached,” authorities said.

Anyone who has seen Wilson or knows of his whereabouts is asked to call 911, or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Savannah-Chatham County at 912-234-2020.

Springfield is about 26 miles northwest of Savannah.

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This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Inmate arrested after escaping custody due to ‘door malfunction,’ Georgia police say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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