Photo by AP
Richard Matt, one of the two convicted murderers who escaped from a New York prison, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers on Friday afternoon, nearly three weeks after he and fellow prisoner David Sweat executed a high-profile prison break.An unidentified official confirmed Matt's death to the Associated Press and said Sweat was still on the run.Law enforcement officials reportedly fired a burst of gunshots around 4pm near the New York town of Malone, resulting in Matt's fatal injury, according to a report from Buffalo News. Local law enforcement and the FBI were involved in the incident and are reportedly continuing a ground search for Sweat.Matt and Sweat escaped on June 6 from the Clinton Correctional Facility, located just 20 miles from the Canadian border. The men used power tools to cut into a pipe, which they then shimmied through until they emerged from a manhole.Matt was serving a sentence of 25 years to life for killing and dismembering his boss, while Sweat was convicted of killing a sheriff's deputy and serving a sentence of life without parole.Two prison workers have been arrested on allegations that they helped aid Matt and Sweat in their escape. Joyce Mitchell, a 51-year-old who worked in the prison's tailor shop, is accused of giving them hacksaw blades, chisels, along with other tools, which were hidden in hamburger meat. She also allegedly agreed to be Matt and Sweat's getaway driver, but she backed out and checked herself into the hospital with chest pains. Earlier this month Mitchell pled guilty to felony charges that include promoting prison contraband.The second prison employee, correction officer Gene Palmer, was arrested on June 24 and charged with promoting prison contraband, tampering with physical evidence, and official misconduct.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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