Dannemora: Two Escaped Killers, Three Weeks of Terror, and the Largest Manhunt Ever in New York State
About this ebook
In June 2015, two convicted murderers broke out of the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, in New York’s North Country—launching the most extensive manhunt in state history and dominating the news cycle with the sex scandal linking both inmates to the prison employee who aided them.
Double murderer Richard Matt and cop-killer David Sweat slipped out of their cells, followed a network of tunnels and pipes under the thirty-foot prison wall, and climbed out of a manhole to freedom. For three weeks, residents of local communities were prisoners in their own homes as law enforcement swept the wilderness near the Canadian border.
Dannemora is a gripping account of the bold breakout and the search that ended with one man dead, one man back in custody—and lingering questions about those who set the deadly drama in motion.
“A dramatic story. . . . A true community insider’s perspective on a legendary manhunt.”
—Booklist
“A gripping account of the daring prison break. . . . True crime fans will be more than satisfied.”
—Publishers Weekly
“More than just a page-turner—a true story about people who are dedicated to seeking justice.”
—Robert K. Tanenbaum
“An exciting read, full of shocking revelations. . . . Don’t miss this stunning true story.”
—Gregg Olsen
“Eye-opening, provocative . . . a true story, full of shocking twists and turns.”
—M. William Phelps
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About the author
Charles A. Gardner is a municipal court judge and retired correction training lieutenant in Malone, New York, the far-upstate town where he was born and raised. His twenty-five-year career in New York State Department of Corrections included working as a correction officer, sergeant, and lieutenant. He had experience working in medium- and maximum-security facilities including stints at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora and the maximum-security prisons of Sing Sing, Bedford Hills, Great Meadow, and Upstate. Gardner served on the Department of Corrections' emergency response team (CERT), which played a critical role in the search for the 2015 prison escapees. He lives with his wife in the North Country. Visit him at www.charlesagardner.com.
