WHITE CO., Ill. - White County Sheriff Doug Maier has outlined the most recent sighting of two of the three who escaped the White County Jail early Saturday morning...as well as the arrest of three individuals who allegedly assisted them.
Zac Shock
Maier said that last night (Sunday, June 17) at approximately 8:30 p.m., several motorists reported two male subject matching the descriptions of Zachary Shock and Johnny Tipton walking along Illinois Route 1 about a mile north of Illinois Route 131. They advised the subjects had left the roadway and ran into a wooded area, between Norris City and Omaha. The two were described as male, one older with gray hair and one in his mid-20s with a stocky build. Both subjects were said to be wearing shorts and no shirt.
Johnny E. Tipton
Officers from numerous departments from White and surrounding counties responded to this area. A drone from Hamilton County and two K9s from Illinois State Police were called to the area. A massive effort to locate these two individuals was undertaken. At this time, the individuals have not been located.
One of the three, Justin Bray, was caught over the weekend.
In the interim, three subjects have been held in connection with the escape from the jail. White County State's Attorney Denton Aud was scheduled to charge these three this morning (Monday, June 18): Wendi M. Owen, 46, of Grayville; Carly D. Schmittler, 28, also of Grayville; and Elijah R. Locher, 32, of Crossville.
Wendi Owen
Carly Schmittler
Eli Locher
The White County Sheriff's Office wishes to remind the public that any attempt to aid a fugitive can result in criminal charges. Anyone with information on the location of Shock or Tipton should contact law enforcement immediately and not assist them in any way.