Prison Worker Charged in Jailbreak May Have Plotted to Murder Husband

A prison worker charged with helping two convicted killers escape from a maximum-security facility in upstate New York had talked to the inmates about the possibility of them murdering her husband, a district attorney said Wednesday.

Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie announced that prison worker Joyce Mitchell may face further charges after authorities have learned that she discussed a plot with the escapees for the murder-for-hire of her husband, Lyle, according to the Associated Press.

The news came at a noon press conference held near Clinton Correctional Facility, the maximum-security prison from which David Sweat, 35, and Richard Matt, 48, escaped in the early morning of June 6th.

Wylie said that investigators have no information to suggest that Lyle Mitchell, who also works at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, knew about the escape plan or provided any assistance to the inmates.

State police also announced in the press conference that the search for Sweat and Matt has been expanded beyond the 16-square-mile areas of woods, fields, and swamps near the facility where the search has thus far been most concentrated.

Earlier this morning, law enforcement authorities released time progression photos as the search for the two escaped killers continued into its 12th day. The photos show the escapees beginning to grow their facial hair; an eerie reminder that, according to experts, their chances of eluding authorities for a substantial period of time increase with each passing day.

[AP]