Who is escaped inmate, convicted killer, Michael 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Wilson? What we know

Lici Beveridge, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·3 min read

Michael "Pretty Boy" Floyd Wilson, a 51-year-old man who was convicted of killing two people in 2014 in Harrison County, has a history of escaping from jails and prisons.

He escaped Sunday night from the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County — 3½ years after he made another prison break.

He may still be in Jackson metro area: A Mississippi convicted of two murders has escapee prison a second time.

What is Michael 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Wilson in jail for?

Wilson was convicted in 2015 of beating to death Carmen Dale Edwards in Biloxi on Jan. 2, 2014, and beating Kenneth Gibson with a hammer the following day in Gulfport. Gibson died from his injuries on Jan. 20, 2014.

Authorities said Wilson stole Gibson's car and went to Slidell, Louisiana, where the car was later found.

For the murders, Wilson was sentenced to two terms of life in prison and a number of other sentences for burglary, larceny and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Harrison and Jackson counties.

Life without parole: Jury convicts Mississippi inmate for 2018 prison escape

Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson

Wilson's 2018 prison escape

In July 2018, Wilson escaped from South Mississippi Correctional Facility in Leakesville.

The Associated Press reported in 2018 that Russell Turner, publisher of the weekly Greene County Herald newspaper, gave Wilson a ride to a hospital after finding the "winded and flustered" stranger sitting outside his home about 1½ miles from the prison.

Turner said he dropped Wilson off at a hospital.

Turner notified authorities after he learned of the escape. He said the public had not been notified immediately, and he did not know when he gave him a ride that Wilson was an inmate.

Wilson was captured two days later in Ocean Springs, about 70 miles from the prison.

What led to trial?: Mississippi lawmaker seeks investigation of prison escape

A jury found Wilson guilty of the escape in 2020. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, to be served consecutively with the two life sentences for murder.

Timeline of events leading up to Wilson's escape

  • February 2022: Escapes from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County.

  • February 2020: Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2018 escape.

  • July 2018: Escaped from South Mississippi Correctional Facility in Leakesville. He was captured two days later in Ocean Springs.

  • September 2015: Sentenced to two life terms for murder; other sentences to run concurrently for other charges.

  • January 2014: Accused of beating to death two men, stealing one’s vehicle.

  • November 2010: Sentenced to 25 years in prison with 18 suspended, according to court records.

  • June 2009: Indicted on numerous charges in Harrison and Jackson counties, including auto theft, burglary, grand larceny, breaking and entering.

  • April 2009: Accused of assaulting a police officer in Biloxi after a traffic stop for allegedly running a red light, the Sun Herald reported.

  • November 2001: Did not return from a bathroom break while working on a soccer field at George County Middle School, according to the Associated Press. He was in custody at a George County community work center after he was sentenced for burglary of a residence and drug possession in Harrison County.

Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi inmate Michael 'Pretty Boy' Floyd Wilson serving life