Weeks after an inmate escaped from the Okfuskee County jail by breaking through a bathroom wall, the community is still waiting for answers about what went wrong and what's being done to prevent future security breaches.
2 News has been pushing for transparency in this case since inmate Joshua Butler escaped on December 20, but officials have remained largely silent despite repeated requests for information.
WATCH: OSBI investigates inmate bathroom escape at Okfuskee County jail
When 2 News visited the sheriff's office, we were told that Sheriff Logan Manshack, the Undersheriff, and the jail administrator were not available. This response has become typical in our months-long effort to get answers.
According to an initial statement from the sheriff's office, Butler escaped by removing a wall-mounted sink and breaking through a concrete wall to access plumbing areas that led to an exterior door.
On December 31, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers confronted Butler during a traffic stop, where he was later shot and killed. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol tells us that Butler was a dangerous inmate serving multiple life sentences for various crimes.
2 News' Clifton Hasken and Steph Manchen have both reached out to Manshack numerous times for an interview since early January with specific questions, but has yet to receive a response.
I also sent my own email to his office asking several key questions: When will the investigation findings be made public? What disciplinary actions have been taken against jail staff? What structural fixes are being implemented? And how are they reinforcing the walls to prevent another breach?
When we couldn't reach the sheriff, we attempted to speak with the jail administrator, but she declined to comment and walked away when we approached her with questions.
A woman inside the jail eventually told 2 News they are not commenting at this time because the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating. We reached out to OSBI and confirmed they are investigating the inmate escape.
The public has a right to know how an inmate was able to break through a jail wall and what's being done to ensure it doesn't happen again. 2 News will continue pushing for these answers.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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