Escapee returned in short order
HUNTSVILLE — An inmate of the Scott County Jail who allegedly escaped from the facility Thursday afternoon was taken into custody just hours later a short distance away.
Christopher Scott Jeffers, 27, of Winfield, will reportedly face a felony charge of escape, and other charges were said to be possibly pending.
Jeffers allegedly made his break for freedom at around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon by escaping from an enclosed area at the rear of the facility, referred to as a “bullpen.” It was initially believed that Jeffers climbed the chain link fence enclosing the area and passed through razor barbed wire at the top of the fence. However, Sheriff Anthony Lay later said that Jeffers had crawled under the fence with the assistance of a fellow inmate. Allegedly, a tie wire on the fence had been broken, allowing enough room for the escape.
Shortly after 2 p.m., a dispatch went out for all available Sheriff’s Department units to respond to the Sheriff’s Department. Authorities focused their search on the wooded area directly behind the jail and around the New River area a short distance south of the facility. Town Springs Road was closed as authorities carried out a manhunt for the escapee.
A helicopter from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department and a dog team from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary were employed to assist with the search, and the help of the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Bureau of Investigation were also enlisted.
Reportedly, Jeffers was spotted crossing a field just east of the jail facility a short time later. At around 4:30 p.m., authorities who were acting on a tip from an unidentified citizen located Jeffers near Baker Highway in the Little Creek area just east of Huntsville.
Jeffers had been in custody at the facility fewer than 48 hours when the alleged escape took place. Oneida Police Department officers had arrested Jeffers on Tuesday (April 15) for not being in compliance with Tennessee’s sexual offender registration requirements.
State law requires convicted sex offenders to register with local law enforcement, and to inform law enforcement if they change residences. Allegedly, Jeffers — who had been convicted in 2003 of statutory rape and had given authorities a Winfield address — had been residing at two residences in the Oneida area, leading authorities there to seek a warrant for his arrest.
When officers served the warrant at a Matthews Road residence late Tuesday, Jeffers allegedly struggled with Sgt. John Terry and Officer Gerry Garrett before being taken into custody. He was allegedly found in possession of pills, which he attempted to swallow, according to the warrant filed by Sgt. Terry.
In addition to the failure to register as a sex offender charge, Jeffers was also charged with two counts of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance, resisting arrest and tampering with evidence.