Dannemora
Two Escaped Killers, Three Weeks of Terror, and the Largest Manhunt Ever in New York State
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- £8.99
Publisher Description
The True Story of the Prison Escape That Inspired the Documentary “How It Really Happened”
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
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Municipal court judge Gardner makes his debut with a gripping account of the daring prison break that was recently the subject of a Showtime miniseries, though the absence of sourcing will be a concern to some readers. In June 2015, convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat escaped their cells at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, N.Y., through holes they cut in steel walls and the catwalk behind them that led to an underground pipe and the outside world. From there, they were to be driven to safety by Joyce Mitchell, an unhappily married Corrections Department employee responsible for overseeing inmates working in the prison's tailor shop. Mitchell cultivated relationships with both convicts, and began smuggling contraband to them. But on the night of the breakout, Mitchell was admitted to a hospital for a panic attack, leaving Matt and Sweat to fend for themselves. Eventually, Matt was fatally shot by a border patrol officer in self-defense, and Sweat was apprehended. Gardner's own background as a former corrections officer in the New York State prison system enables him to focus on root causes that made the escape possible, such as politicians' cost-cutting decisions that dramatically reduced the amount of staff overseeing the dangerous inmates. True crime fans will be more than satisfied.
