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Search for US killers intensifies south of NY jail

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The manhunt for two convicted killers on the run from a US jail narrowed Tuesday to a wooded area south of the prison, where hundreds of officers swarmed following a reported sighting of the pair.

Richard Matt, 49, and David Sweat, 35 -- whom officials have called violent and vicious -- used power tools to cut through walls at the Clinton Correctional Facility in the small New York town of Dannemora on Saturday.

Law enforcement alerted authorities in Canada and Mexico to be on watch in case the pair fled the country, but on Tuesday, the search focused on leads generated on the border between Clinton and Essex counties, south of the jail.

US media said there was a possible sighting of the two men on foot in the area of Willsboro, around 40 miles (60 kilometers) from Dannemora.

The pipe that two inmates cut open as part of their escape from Dannemora correctional facility
The pipe that two inmates cut open as part of their escape from Dannemora correctional facility
, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo/AFP

More than 440 corrections and law enforcement officers were in the region, where personnel were going door to door, state police said in a statement.

Police said leads "continue to be generated" and urged vigilance.

"If members of the public see anything unusual upon arriving at their residence or seasonal homes, they are asked to contact law enforcement immediately," police said.

"The public should make no hesitation to report any suspicious activity: that includes any sign of trespass, burglary or vehicle larceny."

There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the pair's arrest.

- Dismembered his boss -

Matt, six feet tall with multiple tattoos, was serving a 25-year to life sentence for the 1997 kidnapping and dismembering of his former boss, 76-year-old William Rickerson, in a horrifying 27-hour ordeal.

Matt reportedly hit his victim, bound him with duct tape and threw him into the trunk of a car. He then beat and assaulted the elderly man multiple times before twisting his neck, and fleeing to Mexico.

There he killed an American and was sentenced to 20 years, before being extradited back to New York state in 2007.

Before killing Rickerson, he had served time for rape and for stabbing a nurse, in separate cases.

Two convicted killers escape from New York prison
Two convicted killers escape from New York prison
--, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo/AFP

In 1986, he spent four days on the run from Erie County Jail, where he was serving time for assault.

Sweat was serving a life sentence without parole for murdering a sheriff's deputy in New York state in 2002 when he was 22 years old.

He and two accomplices were sharing out a cache of stolen weapons, when the deputy approached them. Sweat and an accomplice shot him several times and drove over him with a car.

As a teenager, Sweat was also charged with attempted second-degree burglary and burglary in two separate incidents.

- 'Lucky to be alive' -

The pair, who were reported to enjoy special privileges in jail, escaped before dawn Saturday in a conspiracy likened to Hollywood movies such as "The Shawshank Redemption" or "Escape from Alcatraz."

They cut through the walls of their cells with power tools, then crawled to freedom through an underground pipe system, coming up through a manhole and leaving behind a note saying "Have a Nice Day" next to a toothy grin.

A hole cut in the wall of a prison cell used by two prisoners to escape Dannemora correctional facil...
A hole cut in the wall of a prison cell used by two prisoners to escape Dannemora correctional facility, June 6, 2015
, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo/AFP

Two Dannemora residents claim they confronted the felons shortly at around 12:30 am Saturday.

One had a buzz cut and wore a white T-shirt with a black guitar case slung over his shoulder, one of the witnesses told ABC News.

"I go look at him and I ask him: 'What the hell are you doing in my yard? Get the hell out of here.' And he was like: 'Sorry, I didn't know where I was. I'm on the wrong street'," the witness said.

"Lucky to be alive, man," said his female friend when asked how she felt.

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described the pair as "truly dangerous, desperate men" whom he believed had help, "primarily from the inside."

Police confirmed that "several" uniformed and civilian employees at the prison had been interviewed but that no arrests had been made.

The manhunt for two convicted killers on the run from a US jail narrowed Tuesday to a wooded area south of the prison, where hundreds of officers swarmed following a reported sighting of the pair.

Richard Matt, 49, and David Sweat, 35 — whom officials have called violent and vicious — used power tools to cut through walls at the Clinton Correctional Facility in the small New York town of Dannemora on Saturday.

Law enforcement alerted authorities in Canada and Mexico to be on watch in case the pair fled the country, but on Tuesday, the search focused on leads generated on the border between Clinton and Essex counties, south of the jail.

US media said there was a possible sighting of the two men on foot in the area of Willsboro, around 40 miles (60 kilometers) from Dannemora.

The pipe that two inmates cut open as part of their escape from Dannemora correctional facility

The pipe that two inmates cut open as part of their escape from Dannemora correctional facility
, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo/AFP

More than 440 corrections and law enforcement officers were in the region, where personnel were going door to door, state police said in a statement.

Police said leads “continue to be generated” and urged vigilance.

“If members of the public see anything unusual upon arriving at their residence or seasonal homes, they are asked to contact law enforcement immediately,” police said.

“The public should make no hesitation to report any suspicious activity: that includes any sign of trespass, burglary or vehicle larceny.”

There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to the pair’s arrest.

– Dismembered his boss –

Matt, six feet tall with multiple tattoos, was serving a 25-year to life sentence for the 1997 kidnapping and dismembering of his former boss, 76-year-old William Rickerson, in a horrifying 27-hour ordeal.

Matt reportedly hit his victim, bound him with duct tape and threw him into the trunk of a car. He then beat and assaulted the elderly man multiple times before twisting his neck, and fleeing to Mexico.

There he killed an American and was sentenced to 20 years, before being extradited back to New York state in 2007.

Before killing Rickerson, he had served time for rape and for stabbing a nurse, in separate cases.

Two convicted killers escape from New York prison

Two convicted killers escape from New York prison
–, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo/AFP

In 1986, he spent four days on the run from Erie County Jail, where he was serving time for assault.

Sweat was serving a life sentence without parole for murdering a sheriff’s deputy in New York state in 2002 when he was 22 years old.

He and two accomplices were sharing out a cache of stolen weapons, when the deputy approached them. Sweat and an accomplice shot him several times and drove over him with a car.

As a teenager, Sweat was also charged with attempted second-degree burglary and burglary in two separate incidents.

– ‘Lucky to be alive’ –

The pair, who were reported to enjoy special privileges in jail, escaped before dawn Saturday in a conspiracy likened to Hollywood movies such as “The Shawshank Redemption” or “Escape from Alcatraz.”

They cut through the walls of their cells with power tools, then crawled to freedom through an underground pipe system, coming up through a manhole and leaving behind a note saying “Have a Nice Day” next to a toothy grin.

A hole cut in the wall of a prison cell used by two prisoners to escape Dannemora correctional facil...

A hole cut in the wall of a prison cell used by two prisoners to escape Dannemora correctional facility, June 6, 2015
, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo/AFP

Two Dannemora residents claim they confronted the felons shortly at around 12:30 am Saturday.

One had a buzz cut and wore a white T-shirt with a black guitar case slung over his shoulder, one of the witnesses told ABC News.

“I go look at him and I ask him: ‘What the hell are you doing in my yard? Get the hell out of here.’ And he was like: ‘Sorry, I didn’t know where I was. I’m on the wrong street’,” the witness said.

“Lucky to be alive, man,” said his female friend when asked how she felt.

On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described the pair as “truly dangerous, desperate men” whom he believed had help, “primarily from the inside.”

Police confirmed that “several” uniformed and civilian employees at the prison had been interviewed but that no arrests had been made.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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