2 inmates believed to have escaped through jail vent found dead in NC, Tennessee cops say
Update: As of Monday, Feb. 7, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said Tobias Carr and Timothy Sarver were found dead in North Carolina.
Officials shared few details but said “preliminary information indicates both men were involved in a robbery at a convenience store in another part of North Carolina and led authorities on a multi-jurisdictional pursuit before the vehicle was disabled in Wilmington.”
The third man accused of escaping the Sullivan County jail — Johnny Brown — was still on the run as of about 3:30 p.m. Feb. 7.
Original: Three inmates missing for days may have used an HVAC system to get out of a Tennessee jail, officials told news outlets.
Since Friday, Feb. 4, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office said it has been searching for 50-year-old Johnny Shane Brown, 38-year-old Tobias Wayne Carr and 45-year-old Timothy Allen Sarver.
The three men have been on the run after officials said they escaped from the Sullivan County jail, northeast of Knoxville. The area is near the North Carolina and Virginia borders.
As of Feb. 6, deputies said the missing men could have gotten about 100 miles away to the Pulaski, Virginia, region.
“The white Chevy truck that the suspects are believed to be driving was possibly spotted in the New River Valley area in Virginia,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.
The truck could be a 2001 Silverado with a short bed and Tennessee registration number 830GSD, officials said.
Brown, Carr and Sarver are believed to have escaped after they climbed into a vent from a jail cell. Deputies said the men could have gone through the HVAC system, which went onto the roof, WJHL and WCYB reported.
After the incident, news outlets report that some neighbors were uneasy and nearby schools had restricted access. The three men were also placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s “most wanted” list.
The sheriff’s office in a Facebook post didn’t list attorney information for the men, who faced multiple charges.
As the search continues, state investigators are offering a $2,500 reward and the U.S. Marshals Service has a $5,000 reward per inmate. Officials urge anyone with information to call 911 or 800-824-3463.
The sheriff’s office didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for additional information on Feb. 7.
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 8:30 AM with the headline "2 inmates believed to have escaped through jail vent found dead in NC, Tennessee cops say."
