OKEMAH, Okla. — An inmate in Okfuskee County jail serving multiple life sentences escaped and went unaccounted for five days before anyone noticed, the sheriff said.
Joshua Butler escaped from the Okfuskee County jail on Dec. 20 by removing a wall-mounted sink and breaking through a concrete wall to access plumbing areas that led to an exterior door, said Sheriff Logan Manshack. However, the sheriff said he didn't know Butler was missing until December 25.
WATCH: Five Days Missing: Okfuskee County inmate escapes through wall, killed in OHP shooting:
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers attempted a traffic stop Dec. 31 on a vehicle of interest. Butler happened to be a passenger in that vehicle.
Lt. Mark Southall said the vehicle fled into a pasture, where Butler got out and ran on foot carrying a rifle. Troopers then shot and killed Butler.
Butler was a dangerous inmate serving multiple life sentences for various crimes, said Southall.
The five-day delay in discovering Butler's escape has raised questions about jail operations. Comments made on the sheriff's Facebook post questioned how no one noticed Butler was missing during meal times or headcounts.
2 News was able to speak to one Okemah resident, Jason Largent.
"Dangerous people should be kept in prison where they belong and yeah I would say it's concerning that someone could sneak out that easily," said Largent.
Sheriff Manshack acknowledged in a public statement that Butler's escape highlighted two serious concerns: deficiencies in the jail's physical infrastructure and that the inmate went unaccounted for for approximately five days.
The sheriff said accountability is a central focus of the investigation and that he has initiated corrective actions to address operational and structural vulnerabilities at the jail.
An independent investigation is ongoing to understand how the escape occurred, though the agency conducting that investigation could not be verified.
2 News called to speak with the Okfuskee County Sheriff's Office, but was directed to the Okemah Police Department. The police department said no one was available to speak with us.
Open records requests have been submitted to obtain more details about the incident.
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