Jail escapee may have fled to Athens County

Authorities believe a man who escaped Thursday from the Morgan County Jail may have fled to Athens County after stealing a car.

Christopher L. Clark, 19, remains at large after reportedly causing the cell doors to malfunction and running out a side door at the jail just before 3 p.m. Thursday. Other inmates alerted authorities to the escape.

Clark was tracked to Malta, where his trail was lost.

According to a release from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded at 7:31 p.m. Thursday to a report of a stolen car at 1717 South Riverside Drive in the Cottonwood subdivision just south of McConnelsville. The owner said she saw her car leave the driveway and travel on Ohio 376 in the direction of Stockport.

The vehicle was spotted at 8:15 p.m. in Athens County, near Pioneer Park, a mobile home park, the release says. The driver reportedly ran off the road and fled the vehicle on foot.

The vehicle was impounded and held in Athens County for crime scene processing.

The release says the sheriff's office believes the vehicle was stolen by Clark, although it does not elaborate on how he was linked to this incident.

Clark was being held on a theft charge when he escaped. A charge of escape was filed against him Friday,

The Washington County Sheriff's Office sent its helicopter, bloodhound unit and agents of the Major Crimes Task Force to Morgan County to assist in the search Thursday. Sheriff Larry Mincks said Friday his men were no longer involved in the search, other than being on the lookout for Clark locally.

"We're watching for him in the area," Mincks said. "We haven't had any sightings of him."

Mincks said it is believed Clark is in Athens County, where he may have friends or family. There is no indication he is in Washington County, the sheriff said.

Member Comments

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NasCarNut
10-19-09 2:27 PM »Report Abuse	OW thats real nice to make fun of people that cant spell good. I wasn't making fun, I'm serious!!! I can't believe that in this day and age people are so uneducated...where are the parents to allow this to continue generation after generation??? no wonder our country is in the shape it's in...God help us all!!!
TruePatriot
10-18-09 8:26 PM »Report Abuse	I think that civil rights should be suspended for anyone that escapes from a correctional institution. By running away they are making the statement that they refuse to comply with our civilizations rules, first by committing crimes and then by avoiding the consequenses that our leagal system has doled out. I believe that a person that refuses to acknowledge the authority of the court after deciding to disobey the laws of the land should no longer enjoy the protection of either. Designate fleeing felons as a threat to the public safety and allow citizens to collect bounties for bringing them in.
asknot
10-18-09 6:51 PM »Report Abuse	OW? Did you stub your toe? Are you Paris Hilton? Was THERE a comment about killing him that was removed? He's going to find out soon enough that THERE is no where to hide. Because THEY'RE going to find him and put him in THEIR jail for alot longer than he was going to spend initially. Really dumb idea to run. Like totally, for real!lol
ashlie
10-18-09 5:05 PM »Report Abuse	OW thats real nice to make fun of people that cant spell good. But um that was my friend that typed that for me so on the second hand. regardless of anybodys grade average that doesnt give anybody the right to say their going to kill him. You dont know him to say anything about him like that. Yes hes going to go to jail but thats not dead ok, for real, you guys can go to jail the same as he could for killing someone, Its inmature to judge someone and to make fun of someone who cant spell very good. get a social life and stop getting in other peoples lifes... Come on -Ashlie
NasCarNut
10-18-09 11:47 AM »Report Abuse	acually no im not aiding or bedding anybody for everone information, the cops have alrhety came a cheaked my house and could ame and cheak it ever day if they want please go back to school and get an education!!..what is becoming of our youth these days??...
armybrat
10-18-09 8:44 AM »Report Abuse	To run when innocent is the worst thing that he could do. Now he is in the wrong for escaping and running. I agree, the best he could do is to turn hisself in, instead of being caught.
bulldog
10-18-09 7:12 AM »Report Abuse	Maybe in the Jackie Nelson days I would have run too but times are different. They say that a guilty man will run just the same as an innocent man would. Both want to save their hide. If he would turn himself in and throw himself to the mercy of the court and is found innocent on the theft they maybe lenient on him for the escape charge. By the sounds of what they are saying he is looking at a felony of the fifth degree for the escapee which means he is going to tack on 6 to 12 months onto his sentence. Sounds like bad choices in life and he made another one.
asknot
10-18-09 12:19 AM »Report Abuse	Ashlie, first off, if he was innocent, now he's not. He'll go to jail for awhile for escaping. Alot longer than if he was found innocent. Secondly, please, next time you post: type it in word and spell check it. Then cut and paste. Thanks! Thirdly, If I was in jail for a minor crime, I would not flee, even if I was innocent. I wouldn't want the extra YEARS tacked on.
ashlie
10-17-09 10:26 PM »Report Abuse	acually no im not aiding or bedding anybody for everone information, the cops have alrhety came a cheaked my house and could ame and cheak it ever day if they want this happens to be my brother ever body makeing thir snyde remarkes about and what he was accused of he never done thats why he broke out of jail, so ever boby else needs to keep thir remarks about killing him to there self, what would you guys do if you were accused of samething you hadnt done and was going to go to prison for it? all because your so called friends that had done the crime blamed him for it and christopher border told me he had done this stuff so people need to slander him and say bad things about him. hes a person just like everone else and if anybody should make acuzations it defenitley shouldn't be done on the*****internet,and hopefuly the cops do see this ASHLIE
ashlie
10-17-09 10:24 PM »Report Abuse	acually no im not aiding or bedding anybody for everone information, the cops have alrhety came a cheaked my house and could ame and cheak it ever day if they want this happens to be my brother ever body makeing thir snyde remarkes about and what he was accused of he never done thats why he broke out of jail, so ever boby else needs to keep thir remarks about killing him to there self, what would you guys do if you were accused of samething you hadnt done and was going to go to prison for it? all because your so called friends that had done the crime blamed him for it and christopher border told me he had done this stuff so people need to slander him and say bad things about him. hes a person just like everone else and if anybody should make acuzations it defenitley shouldn't be done on the*****internet,and hopefuly the cops do see this ASHLIE
TruePatriot
10-17-09 10:11 PM »Report Abuse	This guy is is running and hiding from the consequenses of his theft. Now he is hiding from the sherrif and the rest of the community. Running from jail is about the dumbest thing you could do. You can't really go home and live freely because you are always looking over your shoulder. You have to stay away from friends and loved ones because if they hide you they could be charged with a crime as well. I hope ashlie isn't really abetting this loser. Only a real coward would stay behind his womenfolk and put the people that care about him through something like this.
armybrat
10-17-09 9:52 PM »Report Abuse	I was replying to ashlie in the 3:59 comment.
ashlie
10-17-09 9:41 PM »Report Abuse	this is not ashlie this is christina
armybrat
10-17-09 5:45 PM »Report Abuse	Ashlie, you are making yourself sound like you may be guilty of aiding and abetting him in his escape. The best thing for you to do is to calm down and if you know anything about where he is, let the law know. He is just making his sentence worse the longer he is loose.
sotired
10-17-09 4:44 PM »Report Abuse	ashlie, It is not very smart to come on here an threaten people. The cops are probably going to look at you next. they do read these from time to time. and to be proud that you associate with someone of this caliber, well, that's really a shame.
ashlie
10-17-09 3:59 PM »Report Abuse	do not mess with him

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