Internal investigation of Ingham County Jail inmate escape is complete - WILX

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LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - A comprehensive investigation including identifying exactly how inmate Michael McKerchie was able to escape from the Ingham County Jail in November 2020 has been completed.

The investigation also reviewed the policies and procedures related to the security of the facility and the safety of inmates and staff. “It was during this time that our community, and the jail, was seeing a surge in COVID cases,” the report from Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth reads. “Our response to the pandemic has always demonstrated a concerted focus of maintaining a healthy environment, for inmates and staff. This focus was guided by health experts and led to some policies being temporarily modified due to a never before seen worldwide pandemic. To reduce opportunities for exposure and spread, one of the practices suspended was daily, physical interior cell inspections by staff. Unfortunately, this temporary change in practice was taken advantage of by an inmate, and he was able to escape.”

The investigation determined that over a period of several days, McKerchie utilized easily accessible resources in his cell to break out a window and flee.

“There is no reason to believe, or evidence to support that the escapee was aided by staff, nor was he knowingly assisted by other inmates,” the report from Wriggelsworth continues. “The escapee’s action exploited a temporary change in practice that my staff and I never believed could lead to an escape. Clearly, I was wrong, and it is my responsibility as Sheriff to ensure this never happens again.” “Part of this responsibility includes being intentionally vague on the details of this escape. It would be irresponsible of me to provide more details compromising not only our jail operations security, but that of any jails in this state, and across the country as well. Public safety remains my number one priority.”

On Nov. 13, around 5:46 a.m. McKerchie was discovered to be absent from his cell in the Ingham County Jail on Cedar Street in Mason. Upon examination of the cell it was discovered that McKerchie had dismantled a mattress and used the padding to simulate his sleeping body. He got out of the building by meticulously disassembling a daylight window and the angle iron that was used to frame it. He had been housed since he was arrested for vehicle theft after a short standoff with police

The Sheriff says a full review of policies and practices in place at the time of this incident were reviewed. As a result, any modified or temporarily suspended policies were re-instituted, and “lessons learned” produced for current and new employee development. One ICSO deputy was formally disciplined for unsatisfactory cell checks post escape. McKerchie is awaiting trial on his original charges, as well as the escape and subsequent criminal charges for both destructive and assaultive behavior while in custody.

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Internal investigation of Ingham County Jail inmate escape is complete - WILX
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