Inmate walks away, but not for long

September 12, 2004

Inmate walks away, but not for long
The McCracken jail inmate was on a work detail, and authorities say he was recaptured after calling his girlfriend.

By Shelley Street sstreet@paducahsun.com--270.575.8667

Sunday, September 12, 2004

A McCracken County Jail inmate who walked away from a work detail Saturday and was recaptured hours later faces a possible additional one to five years in jail on a second-degree escape charge.

"I just told him that I'm going to see that he gets the most he possibly can," Jailer Cliff Gill said.

Joseph Ward, 23, of Paducah was also charged by the McCracken County Sheriff's Department with second-degree fleeing or evading police after he ran from Deputy Jesse Riddle into woods along New Holt Road, Sheriff's Capt. Jon Hayden said.

Ward was doing maintenance work at Lone Oak Park, near the high school, at 6:30 a.m.

"He'd asked the supervisor, who works for the park, to go to the restroom, and he went to the restroom, and then walked away," Gill said.

The supervisor noticed he was missing five or 10 minutes later, Gill said. Kentucky State Police, the sheriff's department, deputy jailers and the Paducah Police Department immediately began searching for him, Gill said. Dogs from the jail and the state police tracked Ward's scent to the Lone Oak Minit Mart but lost the trail about 10 a.m.

Hours later, "Apparently he was walking down New Holt Road in the area of North Friendship," Hayden said. "He went to a residence. A lady let him come in for a drink of water, not knowing he was an escapee. He asked to use the phone and called his girlfriend."

The girlfriend's mother answered the phone and realized Ward was supposed to be in jail, Hayden said. She wrote down the number showing on her caller ID and called 911. Dispatchers were able to trace the number to the woman's address. Hayden and Riddle saw him walking into the woods beside 2079 New Holt Road.

"When we approached him, he took off running, and there was a brief foot chase," Hayden said. Riddle caught him about 2:15 p.m.

Ward was sentenced June 18 to serve two years and 180 days after violating his probation. Jail computer records did not show how the violation occurred, and the courthouse was closed Saturday. Ward had previously been charged with second-degree possession of a forged instrument, Gill said. He had been in jail 122 days and was scheduled for release Nov. 8, 2006.