The Dannemora prison escape: Where are they now? A look at the key players

The Dannemora situation flight is simply a classical situation interruption communicative that occurred successful and astir Clinton County, New York, successful 2015. Motivated by the tendency for freedom, 2 convicts, David Sweat and Richard Matt, escaped with the assistance of 2 situation employees. Here are details of each perpetrators progressive successful the Dannemora situation escape, their existent interests and whereabouts.

David Sweat and Richard Matt, the convicts who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility successful Dannemora, New York, successful the United States. Photo: @BBCBreaking (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

• The events of the situation interruption astatine Dannemora are perpetrated by David Sweat, Richard Matt, Joyce Mitchell and Gene Palmer.
• After serving her sentence, Joyce Mitchell returned to her family and has kept details of her beingness private.
• Gene Palmer served a four-month condemnation and has returned to his life.
• David Sweat is presently serving a life sentence, with an further 3 and a fractional to 7 years for the escape.
• His accomplice, Richard Matt, was killed during the manhunt successful Malone, New York.

Exploring the Dannemora situation escape: past and now

The main culprits down the communicative of the Dannemora Prison Escape are convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat. Their enactment with situation supervisor Joyce Mitchell ended successful an inappropriate narration and a situation flight plan. Gene Palmer, a erstwhile correctional defender astatine the Clinton Correctional Facility, besides played a relation successful the escape.

The situation interruption has inspired assorted Dannemora situation flight documentaries, including: Dannemora Prison Break, We Stand Corrected: Dannemora, New York Prison Break: The Seduction of Joyce Mitchell and Escape astatine Dannemora. Follow the stories of each subordinate progressive and their existent whereabouts.

1. Richard Matt

Richard Matt is champion known for orchestrating the Dannemora situation flight and committing a gruesome execution successful 1997. Photo: @BBCBreaking
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Richard William Matt
• Nickname: Rick
• Date of birth: 25 June 1966
• Place of birth: Tonawanda, New York, United States
• Date of death: 26 June 2015
• Place of death: Malone, New York, United States
• Children: 2

Richard sustained superior injuries from a gunshot coiled and aboriginal died arsenic a result. Benicio del Toro, a Puerto Rican actor, portrayed him successful the seven-episode play Escape astatine Dannemora.

According to The Guardian, earlier the escape, Richard Matt was serving a 25-to-life condemnation astatine the correctional facility. A condemnation that stemmed from the kidnapping and execution of William Rickerson successful New York successful 1997.

After serving astir a decennary successful his sentence, Matt and Sweat, who shared adjoining cells, plotted a palmy situation interruption with the assistance of erstwhile situation serviceman Gene Palmer and situation seamstress Tilly Mitchell.

While connected the run, Matt's convulsive gun-toting behaviour drew the attraction of locals, hunters and compartment owners successful the forests, hills and fields astir Dannemora. On 26 June 2015, a section checking successful connected his hunting compartment raised the alarm aft uncovering an out-of-place vessel of grape-flavoured gin connected his room table.

After a abbreviated crushed search, the constabulary recovered Matt successful the surrounding woods successful the municipality of Malone. His refusal to comply with constabulary orders, portion holding a firearm, led to his death.

2. David Sweat

David Sweat was recaptured 2 days aft his accomplice Richard Matt was recovered and shot. Photo: @CBCNews
Source: Twitter

• Full name: David Sweat
• Nickname: Stain
• Date of birth: 14 June 1980
• Age: 44 years arsenic of April 2025
• Place of birth: New York City, New York, United States

According to Press Connect, David Sweat is serving a beingness condemnation astatine a maximum-security situation successful upstate New York. His flight alongside Matt earned him an further 3 and a fractional to 7 years.

Sweat had a troubled childhood, engaging successful convulsive transgression from the property of seventeen. A gruesome execution connected 4 July 2002, committed by Sweat and his cousin, Jeffrey A. Nabinger Jr, landed him astatine the Clinton Correctional facility. The duo changeable and killed Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin J. Tarsia aft robbing a fireworks and guns shop.

At Dannemora, wherever helium was serving his archetypal sentence, Sweat met his situation interruption accomplice, Richard Matt. With assistance from Tilly, the 2 chopped and drilled their mode retired of the maximum-security situation successful aboriginal June 2015. After being connected the tally for 3 weeks, Sweat was changeable and captured adjacent the Canadian border.

3. Joyce Tilly Mitchell

Joyce Tilly Mitchell pictured during a tribunal session. Photo: @SteveGuidetti
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Joyce Mitchell
• Nickname: Tilly, Tillie
• Former profession: Training supervisor
• Relationship status: Married
• Spouse: Lyle Mitchell
• Children: 1

After serving her sentence, Joyce Mitchell near the spotlight, with precise small being known astir her. At the clip of writing, her whereabouts are unknown.

In 2008, Tilly joined the Clinton Correctional Facility arsenic an concern grooming supervisor wrong the garment manufacturing division. She supervised the prison's tailor store until 6 June 2015, the time of the situation break. After her condemnation successful September 2015, she was sentenced to 7 years astatine Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women successful New York.

Joyce assisted Richard Matt and David Sweat successful their flight from the Clinton Correctional Facility by providing worldly support. She had besides offered to beryllium their getaway driver, but did not spell done with it.

After serving 4 years and 5 months of her sentence, Joyce Mitchell was granted parole successful February 2020. Her merchandise came aft respective of her parole requests had been denied doubly successful 2017 and erstwhile successful 2019. After her release, she was kept nether supervision until June 2022.

In Escape astatine Dannemora, Mitchell was played by seasoned actress Patricia Arquette. In an interrogation with the New York Post, she protested her portrayal successful the docuseries, saying;

I ne'er had enactment with them. Ben Stiller is simply a liar conscionable similar the remainder of the world. He does not attraction astir the truth. All helium cares astir is making millions disconnected me. He is an idiot.

4. Gene Palmer

Gene Palmer pleaded blameworthy to his engagement successful the Dannemora situation escape. Photo: @people
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Gene Palmer
• Former profession: Prison officer
• Relationship status: Married
• Spouse: Laurie Palmer

According to The Cinemaholic, Palmer, who mislaid his relation successful the correction facility, adopted a discreet manner aft his release. This includes changing his sanction and leaving the municipality of Dannemora.

Former Clinton County situation serviceman Gene Palmer served 4 months of his six-month condemnation for his engagement successful the Matt and Sweat escape. He was released successful 2016.

In his defence, Palmer told the North Country Public Radio that the creation supplies and tools helium supplied the convicts were not intended for the escape. He said;

Usually, we person the rat system.

5. Lyle Mitchell

Lyle Mitchell during an interrogation with NBC News' TV personality, Matthew Todd Lauer. Photo: @medianewsnow
Source: Twitter

• Full name: Lyle Mitchell
• Former profession: Prison employee
• Relationship status: Married
• Spouse: Joyce Mitchell
• Children: 3

Lyle Mitchell is joined to Joyce Mitchell. He has been vocal successful his wife's defence, revealing that she was successful excessively heavy and that the inmates had threatened to termination him and their son. When asked whether helium would instrumentality with her, helium told NBC News;

I bash not know, determination are truthful galore thoughts moving done my head. Do I inactive emotion her? Yes. Am I mad? Yes. How tin she bash this? How tin she bash it to our kids?

Who are the existent radical down the Dannemora situation escape?

The situation interruption astatine the Clinton Correctional Facility successful Dannemora was orchestrated by convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat. Other progressive players included situation serviceman Gene Palmer and supervisor Joyce Tilly Mitchell.

How agelong did Tilly get successful jail?

In the Escape astatine Dannemora prison documentary, Joyce Mitchell, besides known arsenic Tilly, is recovered blameworthy of promoting situation contraband and facilitating transgression activity.

Although she was sentenced to 7 years successful prison, she served much than 4 years astatine the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility maximum-security prison for women and was released successful February 2020.

Where is Joyce Mitchell today?

After her merchandise from prison, Mitchell underwent a assemblage supervision period. As of April 2025, her whereabouts and information are not known.

Does Joyce Mitchell person a son?

Yes. Tilly has 1 child, Tobey Premo Jr., with her archetypal husband, Tobey Premo. He has been vocal successful defending his mother. Speaking to NBC News, helium said;

She is not the benignant of idiosyncratic that is going to hazard her beingness oregon different people's lives to fto these guys flight from prison.

He added;

When you are enactment into a concern wherever your household subordinate is threatened oregon different household members mightiness beryllium threatened, oregon astatine risk, you bash a batch of things that you wouldn't do, conscionable to support your family.

The Dannemora situation flight showcased the grade of quality tendency and the pursuit of freedom. While David Sweat is the lone perpetrator remaining successful jail, his different counterparts person moved connected with their lives. Tragically, Richard Matt, 1 of the large culprits, mislaid his beingness during the manhunt.

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Source: Legit.ng