Dannemora Search Incident Commander Discusses New Book On Matt-Sweat Escape
Published September 26, 2017 at 11:55 AM EDT
Relentless Pursuit book cover
Major Charles Guess (retired)
NYS Police
It captured the nation's attention for nearly a month and kept everyone in Northern New York and Vermont on tenterhooks during the summer of 2015. On June 6th, two convicted killers escaped from the maximum security prison at Dannemora. Fugitives Richard Matt and David Sweat eluded searchers for weeks as reporters from around the world fixed a spotlight on the Shawshank-esque getaway.
What was it like to be the person in charge of the largest search ever conducted in the state? New York State Police Major Charles Guess was the commander of Troop B Headquarters, and it fell upon him to lead the massive undertaking. Now retired, he has written Relentless Pursuit, a book about those 23 days. In the first of a two-part interview, Guess says he was encouraged to write the book by his wife Elinor as an insider's comprehensive record of events.
"At least from my point of view, and I can certainly claim an insider's point of view as the former Incident Commander for this, as to what I saw what I experienced in how we did things both strategically and tactically during those 23 days with all of our federal, state and local partners and the influence and effect that the community had, which was phenomenal, support from the North Country citizens. And really how we got from day one to day twenty-three and ended this thing."
In part two of our interview tomorrow, Incident Commander and author of Relentless Pursuit Major Charles Guess delves deeper into the search for Richard Matt and David Sweat.
North Country NewsDannemoraClinton CorrectionalMattSweatDavid SweatRichard MattDannemora EscapeGuessCharles GuessMajor Charles GuessRelentless PursuitJoyce Mitchellm Gene Palmer
Prison Historian Discusses Dannemora's Prisoner Escape Annals
Hundreds of law enforcement officers today are continuing the search for two convicted murderers who escaped from a prison in northern New York over the…
Inside Clinton Correctional: Power Tools And Barbecue Grills
Brian Mann
Inmates at the prison where two murderers escaped a week ago regularly use power tools for maintenance chores, and when they behave, can earn tiny plots of land for cookouts and gardens.
Open Forum: Dannemora Prison Break
Search teams are back in the woods of northern New York looking for two convicted murderers who broke out of a maximum-security prison a week and a half…
Corrections Officer Arrested And Arraigned In Dannemora Prison Escape Investigation
A prison guard from the maximum-security Clinton Correctional facility who police say delivered frozen meat with tools hidden inside to two inmates before…
Suspensions Of Key Staff As Investigations Continue At Dannemora
With the search for the fugitives who escaped from the Clinton Correctional facility over, the focus now turns to the prison itself. WAMC's North Country…
New Warden And Security Measures Imposed At Dannemora Prison
A new superintendent has been named to run the maximum-security Clinton Correctional prison where a range of new security measures have been implemented…
Orange Ribbon Campaign Supports Suspended Dannemora Workers
Orange ribbons are appearing on trees, on poles and in windows across the North Country. It's an effort to show support for Clinton Correctional Facility…
$300K: NY's Bill For Damages Caused By Escaped Prisoners
New York state is spending $300,000 to fix the damage caused by two convicted killers who broke out of a maximum-security prison last month. The work…
IG Report Finds Multiple Failings In Clinton Correctional Prison Break
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Inspector General finds numerous security and oversight problems at the state prison in Dannemora contributed to the…
Clinton Correctional On Lockdown
Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York is on full lockdown today following disturbances Thursday night.The New York State Department of…
Parole Denied For Woman Who Helped Clinton Correctional Escapees
The New York State Parole Board has unanimously denied former prison guard worker Joyce Mitchell's bid for parole.Mitchell appeared before the board for…
A Look Back Two Years After The Dannemora Prison Escape
Today is the second anniversary of the end of one of the largest manhunts in New York history — when officials captured the second of two men who escaped…
Hopefuls Fill Strand Theatre For Showtime Auditions
Two years after a prison break riveted the region, more than 1,000 people flocked to the Strand Theatre in Plattsburgh recently to audition for parts in a…
Parole Denied For Prison Tailor Who Helped Two Killers Escape
A state board has denied parole to the tailor who played a key role in a prison break that's the subject of a Showtime miniseries being filmed in the…