Final Whitley County Jail escapee captured at Middlesboro motel

Above, Justin Cornett is led back to a jail cell by Whitley County Detention Center Deputy Jailer Steve Lundy Wednesday afternoon. Cornett escaped from the jail Friday evening and spent six days on the run before being recaptured at a motel in Middlesboro.

Bruised, forlorn and visibly limping, a local man who has been the subject of a massive manhunt since breaking out of the Whitley County Jail last Friday is back in custody after authorities located him in a Middlesboro motel Wednesday morning.

Twenty-four-year-old Justin Cornett, of Gray, was one of two men who escaped the facility while on work detail in the jail’s kitchen Friday evening. His accomplice, 42-year-old James Fields, of Corbin, was captured hiding in a creek bed in a wooded area behind his girlfriend’s Williamsburg apartment only hours after the escape.

Cornett, however, proved much more elusive. It took six days to finally bring him back to the facility he broke free from.

But in the end, Whitley County Jailer Ken Mobley said Cornett gave up peacefully, too tired to stay on the run any longer.

"When we went into that motel room, he didn’t offer any resistance at all. He was whooped," Mobley said.

"He was just wore out … He said it was stupid. He knows running away was a mistake."

Authorities believe he broke into the Kentucky State Highway garage in Savoy shortly after escaping and stole a 2003 Ford work truck sometime after midnight early Saturday morning. He also took approximately $300 cash from the offices at the garage.

From there they believe Cornett tried to make contact with his mother at an apartment complex in Felts School Road in north Corbin. The truck taken from the highway garage was found abandoned about 500 yards from her home. Police had tracked it to that location using its on-board GPS system.

Cornett has numerous family members that live in Keavy, Corbin and Knox County. But police were also concerned he might leave the state because he has connections in Georgia and Texas as well. That would have complicated any search for him.

On Monday, a tip from Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department Chief Rick Fore led authorities to an area in Woodbine where Cornett was located and a chase ensued. He was able to get away, but fell several times, including once from a high wall where he injured his hip, restricting his mobility. When he was returned to a jail cell at the detention Center early Wednesday afternoon, he was clearly sore and quite noticeably limping.

Mobley said Cornett somehow got transportation to Middlesboro and that he intended to seek medical treatment for his injury there, fearing that if he went to a local hospital he would be recognized and turned in to police. Instead, he decided to bed down at the Boone Trail Inn on US 25E just outside of Middlesboro to rest.

Whitley County Second District Constable Ron Bowling received a tip Wednesday Cornett was at the motel. Authorities believe a clerk or motel manager recognized Cornett when he checked in.

Mobley said he coordinated with the Middlesboro Police Department and Kentucky State Police to converge on the motel and take Cornett into custody.

Cornett was in jail for burglary, resisting arrest, a parole violation and drug offense. 

Though he hasn’t told authorities why he decided to escape, some recent events may shed light on his motivations.

Mobley said Cornett had just gone before the Kentucky Parole Board and was denied early release, meaning he would have to serve at least another 15 months in jail. He added that Cornett was also sad over the fact that he hadn’t had many visitors recently and that his girlfriend may be dating someone else.

"I think he was kinda sad that no one was coming to see him anymore and I guess if you’ve got a sweetie pie and you get flopped for 15 months and she’s not coming to see you any more either … it just aggravated him. It all piled up," Mobley said. "You sit here and try to deal with it and get your hopes up, but now he’s looking at 15 more months, period. It’s a tough thing to deal with."

Officials believe the two men were able to escape from the facility because a contract worker in the jail’s kitchen inadvertently left a door unlocked. The jail leases its kitchen to an outside company. Inmates on the jail’s work release program often help out in the kitchen.

Mobley said the employee was questioned about the mistake, and was very distraught over what had happened, but is no longer working at the jail.

"She was very upset about it. I think it was a mistake, but when you work in a jail you can’t have mistakes," Mobley said. "They happen, but we try to minimize them, so she’s no longer here."

He added that some new rules and regulation regarding doors in the kitchen have been put in place to prevent any further problems.

Mobley said the effort to recapture Fields and Cornett was daunting, but well coordinated and praised local law enforcement agencies and others for pulling together to assist.

Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird and the Williamsburg Police Department led the manhunt. Other agencies were also integral in the search, including: Kentucky State Police, Corbin Police, Second District Constable Ron Bowling, the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department, officers from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, State DES Director Jerry Rains and deputy jailers.

"We can’t give them enough credit," Mobley said. "All of them working together has been perfect. We had over 30 officers working the first night they ran off out working to find them."

"I want to say a special thank you to Chief Wayne Bird for all the help he gave us," Mobley added. "I’m just tickled to death I have the cooperation that I do."

Cornett will be charged with first-degree escape. No date for an initial court appearance on the charge has yet been set.