A former Mississippi jail staffer has been taken into custody in connection with the escape of a DeSoto County inmate.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reports that Ronnie Hunt is behind bars. He faces escape of prisoners and conveying articles useful for the escape of prisoners charges. Authorities believe he may have helped Joshua Zimmerman flee custody in DeSoto County back in mid-June. Hunt worked as a deputy jailer in DeSoto County, but has since been terminated from his role.
Zimmerman was captured by U.S. Marshals on Wednesday, August 21 after an hours-long standoff. The 30-year-old barricaded himself inside the Seafood Junction on the west side of Chicago on the night before his capture. Authorities with the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office said Zimmerman was inside the restaurant alone, meaning no civilians were at risk.
(Photo courtesy of the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office)
DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton revealed shortly after Zimmerman’s June 14 escape that he believes the incident was partially a result of work from the inside after camera footage from the courthouse was mysteriously deleted.
Zimmerman is said to have walked across the street from and asked a stranger en route to Memphis, Tenn. to give him a ride. The inmate, still in his pajamas and shower shoes, told the driver that he had just been in an altercation with his wife and needed to get out of town.
The criminal is back in police custody. He was originally locked up in north Mississippi for allegedly attacking an elderly man in Southaven. He is also accused of murdering a woman in Houston, Texas.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are assessing how Zimmerman was able to flee.
