Police search for Ohio prison escapee in Kentucky, inmate 'considered dangerous'

One prisoner who escaped Tuesday from an Ohio prison near Lima has been caught and one is still on the loose and "considered dangerous."

Bradley Gillespie, 50, who was incarcerated on a murder charge has not been found. James Lee, 47, who was in on burglary and safecracking charges, was found in the Henderson, Ky., area about 350 miles southwest of the prison.

Both escaped from the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution.

Gillespie "should be considered dangerous" according to a statement from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.  Anyone who sees him or has any information regarding his whereabouts should call 911 immediately.

A $21,000 reward is being offered by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Allen County Sheriff's Office for information that leads to the capture of Gillespie.

The Henderson Police Department said Gillespie was likely in the Henderson area.

"Continue to stay vigilant, lock your doors, and contact 911 if you see anyone matching the description or have unlocked buildings that Gillespie could be hiding (in)," the department said.

Gillespie is reported to be 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds, police said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. The patrol Findlay Post has a tipline at 1-419-423-1414.

Gillespie was found guilty in the 2016 murders of Frank Tracy, Jr. and Hannah Fisher in Paulding County. Tracy's body was found near a cemetery and Fisher's was found in an apartment. Investigators determined both were shot in the head inside a 2016 red Jeep.

Lee pleaded guilty to burglary in Allen County in 2021 and convicted of breaking and entering in Auglaize County in 2020.

Both inmates were unaccounted for during a prisoner count at 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to a release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and DRC. Lee and Gillespie were last seen in the prison on surveillance video at 8:41 a.m. on Monday.

Lima City Schools went on a soft lockdown Tuesday after reports of the escape.

Search now focused near Kentucky boat ramp after early morning chase

Just after 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, Henderson officers observed "a stolen vehicle believed to be occupied by two escaped inmates out of Ohio," a department news release states.

Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled. Officers pursued the vehicle until it crashed on a residential street in central Henderson - where police said the two occupants fled on foot. Police arrested Lee, who was reported to have been traveling with Gillespie, after the chase. Gillespie was able to evade capture and is still considered to be at large.

"We currently have a perimeter set up in the area of Camaro Drive and we are using (the) resources we have to locate Bradley Gillespie," the HPD news release states.

At 9:15 a.m, Kentucky authorities said they established a command post at the Hayes Boat Ramp, where investigators reportedly recovered a piece of Gillespie's clothing.

"The park is closed while multiple agencies assist in coordinating efforts to locate Bradley Gillespie," the news release states. "Please avoid the area."

Henderson law enforcement last released a public update regarding the search at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Houston Harword is a reporter for the Evansville Courier & Press.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Authorities search for Ohio prison escapee suspected to be in Kentucky