Witkowski, Adams Attempt Jailbreak

The Valley County Detention Center was the scene of an attempted escape by inmates Jay Witkowski and Austin Adams on Aug. 25.

Witkowski recently admitted to killing Evelynn Garcia of Glasgow on New Year’s Eve. Adams was originally booked on charges of criminal endangerment and custodial interference.

Despite intense local and regional interest, the episode appears to have lasted less than 20 minutes, beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 24 and concluding with a visual confirmation on a facility monitor at 12:20 a.m. on Aug. 25.

The inmates did not leave the secure area of the facility, but did manage to briefly abduct a detention officer and steal her keys. The officer was unharmed. The pair then quickly discovered the keys they’d taken were insufficient to secure their exit and pulled the fire alarm.

Following the alarm, officers from the Sheriff’s Office and Glasgow Police Department entered the facility and returned the inmates to their cells. Sheriff Vernon Buerkle told the Courier that he will be reviewing policy and procedure and considering additional staffing.

Witkowski and Adams are now facing additional felony charges, including attempted escape, aggravated kidnapping, and intimidation, along with misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and false alarms.