2 inmates who escaped a Mississippi jail are captured

PORT GIBSON, Miss. (AP) — Two inmates who escaped from a jail in southwestern Mississippi have been captured, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said.

The two men are awaiting trial on murder charges in separate counties. Each is now facing a charge of escape, said Claiborne County Sheriff Edward Goods.

Deputies found Tyrekennel Collins, 24, and Dezarrious Johnson, 18, Saturday in an abandoned home in the county. They had broken out of the Claiborne County Detention Center about 2:20 a.m. Friday.

The jail is in Port Gibson, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Jackson.

Camera footage showed Collins and Johnson escaping through the ceiling and leaving behind an outside wall, Goods said.

WJTV-TV reported that Collins is charged with murder in the October killing of his cousin in Copiah County, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Claiborne County. Court records on Friday did not show an indictment for Collins.

Johnson is charged with murder and aggravated assault in Jefferson County, just south of Claiborne County. Court records show he was indicted in the October 2022 killing of one person and injuries to two others. His trial is set to begin Oct. 15.