Escaped jail inmate captured Thursday hiding under a trailer

A Whitley County Detention Center inmate, who walked away from a work release detail on June 6, was captured Thursday morning hiding under a trailer in eastern Whitley County.

Escaped inmate Jeremy Lynn was re-captured Thursday morning.

Whitley County Sheriff Todd Shelley said that Jeremy Lynn, 26, of Williamsburg, was captured shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday at a residence at 1697 Verne Road.

Shelley served Lynn with a warrant charging him with second-degree escape.

He also charged Jessica Lawson, 24, with second-degree hindering prosecution or apprehension. Lawson is Lynn’s girlfriend.

Acting on information the sheriff’s department received, Shelley, Chief Deputy Tim Baker and Deputy John Hill went to the residence, which is a singlewide trailer. When they got there, Lynn went into the crawl space under the trailer, which had underpinning.

Shelley and Baker crawled underneath the trailer looking for Lynn while Hill stayed inside the residence.

Shelley said he shined his flashlight and spotted Lynn trying to hide behind some concrete blocks. Shelley then told Lynn to come out, which he did. At that point, Lynn was arrested without incident, and lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Lynn is a state inmate, who was classified as a non-violent offender. He was working as part of a work release crew in the Boston area off of Ky. 1804 picking up trash when he escaped about 3:10 p.m. on Sept. 6.

Shelley said that he didn’t ask Lynn why he escaped, and isn’t sure exactly where he had been hiding the last couple of weeks.

Baker also served Lawson with two outstanding warrants Thursday. She was also lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Whitley County Jailer Brian Lawson said he is happy that the sheriff’s department was able to apprehend Lawson.

“We never felt he was threat to the community at any time, but we don’t want inmates out here on the loose,” Lawson said.

He added that the Williamsburg Police Department conducted the investigation into the escape, and would be presenting the case to the Whitley County Grand Jury for possible indictment.