CRAWFORD CO.—The search for Jared Carter, 30, an inmate at Robinson Correctional Center in Crawford County, continued in the overnight hours and has picked up steam this morning at daybreak.
Teams searching yesterday afternoon and evening—after Carter, serving a sentence on burglary, theft and forgery charges out of states to the west of this area of southeastern Illinois, disappeared from the perimeter fence at the grounds some time between 10:30-11 a.m.—were met by new teams late last night, and a short debriefing was held at around midnight. Then fresh teams were immediately sent back out into the areas it was believed Carter may have hidden himself in. It appears authorities don’t believe he would leave the Robinson area, or at least go very far; their searched last night involved patrols in areas of town where it seemed possible Carter might attempt to break into and hole up, or where dogs detected his scent. But he was not spotted, nor were there any reports about him in the area.
The teams took off again this morning, this time searching around the ground of the prison, although whether they are looking for Carter, or just evidence, remains unknown. Teams include all law enforcement agencies in the area, Department of Corrections teams, and U.S. Marshals.
Jared Carter DOC profile mug
Jared Carter DOC mug
The situation with Carter has made headlines across the nation, as it’s infrequent that a prison escapee can elude authorities for as long as Carter has. As well, confirmed reports about Carter having a sister in Oklahoma—whom it’s also been confirmed that he called yesterday after breaking into a home in Robinson—have lit up a segment of that state as regards their interest in the case. We’re working on who his sister is, and what he said to her when he called.
It’s unknown whether Carter planned this escape, or if it was merely opportune. If he planned it, it’s unknown if he had help. If he did indeed have help, he could be long gone by now. But all of southeastern Illinois was on alert yesterday and remains so today, so if anything suspicious had happened, authorities would likely have heard of it.
As it sits right now, we understand that more house-to-house searches may be getting underway soon. When we learn where they are, we’ll try to post. Keep checking for updates.