Escaped Barry County inmates still on the loose, but authorities are closing in

SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) — Three inmates that escaped from a Missouri jail last week stole an SUV in Salina and later ditched it in western Kansas. According to Salina Police Department (SPD) Captain Paul Forrester, the inmates, identified as Christopher Blevins, Matthew Crawford, and Lance Stephens, escaped from the Barry County Jail on Friday. They are considered armed and dangerous.

Stephens was in jail for drug-related charges, Crawford for stealing and Allen for various charges that include resisting arrest and driving while his license was revoked, according to online records. The three traveled to Salina in a white 2002 GMC Sierra 2500 pickup that they stole in Barry County. They ditched the truck in Salina and stole a maroon 2005 GMC Yukon. It is valued at $6,000.

According to the SPD, a 29-year-old Salina woman reported her SUV was stolen from in front of her home, located in the 100 block of S. Connecticut Ave in Salina, around 8:45 p.m. Saturday. She told police that she had last seen the vehicle around 7:45 p.m., unlocked with the keys inside.

An investigation by the SPD revealed that a neighbor reported seeing a woman wearing a tan shirt and jean shorts and carrying a drawstring bag, and a man, who had brown hair, was wearing sunglasses, a t-shirt and gray shorts in the area at the time of the theft.

What the Barry County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) is calling a “situation” has been turned over to the U.S. Marshals. They are now conducting the search for the escaped inmates.