WCDO Radio News

Broome County Sheriff's Office is partnering with the Southern Tier chapter of the American Red Cross for a Blood Drive today at the Sheriff's Office in honor of the late Broome County Deputy Kevin Tarsia, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. on July 4th, 2002, Deputy Tarsia was killed in the line of duty during an encounter with suspects from a firearms burglary at Grange Hall Park in Kirkwood. Appointments can be scheduled at redcrossblood.org.

55-year-old Joyce Mitchell was
conditionally released Thursday morning from the Bedford Hills Correctional
Facility.  Mitchell Previously Worked at
the state prison in Dannemora, she helped Richard Matt and David Sweat break
out of the prison in 2015. After a three-week manhunt, Matt was shot dead and
Sweat was captured and was transferred to another facility. Sweat was convicted
for the 2002 killing of Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Tarsia.

State Prison inmate David Sweat of Broome County is reportedly on a Hunger Strike at Attica state prison. State Correction officials announced that they are seeking a court order to insert a feeding tube for Sweat. Sweat is serving jail time for the 2002 murder of Broome County Deputy Kevin Tarsia, and for participating in the highly publicized escape from the Dannemora prison in 2015.

Former Clinton County Correctional Facility Guard Gene Palmer pleaded guilty in court on today to Promoting prison contraband and official misconduct, for smuggling tools to Richard Matt & David Sweat last year, prior to their escape from jail & a 3 week long manhunt. Palmer was sentenced him to 6 months in jail and he was fine $5,000, and was forced to resign his position. Matt was shot and killed by State Police, Sweat was wounded and apprehended by police and has been sent to a different jail to serve out his term for killing Broome County Sheriffs deputy Kevin Tarsia in 2002.

David Sweat has been ordered to pay restitution of more than $79,000 & was sentenced to 3 1/2 to 7 years additional prison time for the escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility last year, along with Richard Matt. Both Matt & Sweat were on the run for 22 days last June, Matt was fatlly shot by Police on June 26th, Sweat was shot 2 days later and was captured after 22 days on the run. Sweat was originally sentenced to life in prison for murdering Broome County Deputy Kevin Tarsia in 2002.

Broome County native David Sweat pleaded guilty to charges brought against him after he escaped from the Clinton County prison in Dannemora earlier this year. Sweat pleaded guilty to 2 counts of escape and 1 count of promoting prison contraband, for the June jail break with Richard Matt, Sweat was on the run for 22 days until he was found near the Canadian border. He was shot & injured by a state trooper 2 days after Matt was shot & killed by police. Sweat is now serving his time at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, he was previously sent to jail for the murder of Broome County Sheriff's deputy Kevin Tarsia in 2002.

Former Broome County resident & escaped prisoner David Sweat appeared in court this morning for arraignment on 2counts of 1st degree escape and 1 count of promoting prison contraband. Sweat did not enter a plea in Clinton County Court in Plattsburgh, so the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Sweat and Richard Matt escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility, they were on the run for 22 days, Sweat was found June 28th where he was shot and wounded by a state trooper. Matt was shot and killed June 26th. Sweat has been transferred to another state facility, he is serving a life sentence for the murder of Broome County Sheriff's deputy Kevin Tarsia in 2002, and he faces court action again, on September 29th.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin held a joint news conference Wednesday afternoon in Dannemora, detailing the ways in which Vermont authorities are working to prepare in case David Sweat and Richard Matt headed there. David Sweat and Richard Matt escaped from the maximum-security prison Saturday, by drilling through a steel wall, crawled through a pipe and then escaped through a manhole cover outside, & they may have had help from a prison employee, Joyce Mitchell, according to State Police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico:

(D'Amico 1)

Sweat and Matt are still at large, & a $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to their capture, Superintendent D'Amico urged the public to not take the law into their own hands:

(D'Amico 2)

Sweat was in prison for the 2002 murder of Broome County deputy Kevin Tarsia; Matt was in prison for Kidnapping & murder in Niagara County.

New York State is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and arrest of Richard Matt and David Sweat, who escaped from the Clinton correctional facility. Governor Andrew Cuomo commented:

(Cuomo 6-8-15)

David Sweat is 34 years old; white, 5’11” tall, 165 pounds, brown hair and green eyes, with tattoos on his left bicep and his right fingers. Sweat is serving a sentence of life without parole for the Murder of Broome County Deputy Kevin Tarsia on July 4, 2002. Richard Matt is 48 years old, white, 6’ tall, 210 pounds, with black hair and hazel eyes. He has tattoos on his back: “Mexico Forever”, a heart on his chest and left shoulder, and a Marine Corps insignia on his right shoulder, he is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for 3 counts of murder, 3 counts of kidnapping, and 2 counts of robbery after he kidnapped a male victim and caused his death on December 3, 1997. Both are considered dangerous, if located DO NOT approach them, call 911.