Monroe inmate escapes 3 months before end of prison term
»Play Video
SEATTLE (AP) - A man was arrested in a small town near Olympia and accused of helping an escaped prisoner who remained at large Thursday afternoon after breaking out of a Monroe prison a day earlier, officials said.
The 59-year-old man, whose name was not released, was arrested in McCleary, about 80 miles southwest of Monroe Correctional Complex, said Grays Harbor County Chief Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate.
A vehicle was seized, but neither Shumate nor corrections department spokesman Chad Lewis would say how they think the man assisted in the escape of Brandon J. Musto.
Musto, 37, had three months left to serve on his sentence when turned up missing Wednesday evening at the minimum security unit.
Prisoners are counted four times a day so he could not have been gone more than a few hours before he was missed, said Lewis.
Musto apparently went over a fence, although officials are checking video as they investigate, Lewis said.
Musto began serving time in September 2011 for a for vehicular assault conviction in Thurston County and was scheduled for release in February 2013.
Lewis said authorities do not know Musto's motive, but since an escape conviction could lead to several more years in prison, "that might be the first question we ask him."
"You have a foot out the door, there's little incentive," to escape, Lewis said.
There was nothing notable in Musto's prison record and his behavior had to be good to qualify for minimum security, Lewis said Thursday.
Minimum security is one of five units at the prison complex at Monroe, 24 miles northeast of Seattle. The unit holds about 460 of the 2,500 offenders housed in the state's second-largest prison, smaller by a few hundred inmates than the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center near the Tri-Cities.
Anyone spotting Musto is asked to call 911. He's described as white, 5-foot-8, 180 pounds with brown eyes and dark hair. He has tattoos on his right arm and left wrist.
It's been years since the last escape from the Monroe prison and Lewis couldn't recall one. Other recent problems at the facility, however, have made news.
A corrections officer was assaulted in the special offenders unit at Monroe in August and had to be treated at a Seattle hospital.
And in January 2011, Corrections Officer Jayme Biendl was strangled in the prison chapel. Inmate Byron Scherf is charged with aggravated murder and is scheduled for trial in March in Everett.
The 59-year-old man, whose name was not released, was arrested in McCleary, about 80 miles southwest of Monroe Correctional Complex, said Grays Harbor County Chief Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate.
A vehicle was seized, but neither Shumate nor corrections department spokesman Chad Lewis would say how they think the man assisted in the escape of Brandon J. Musto.
Musto, 37, had three months left to serve on his sentence when turned up missing Wednesday evening at the minimum security unit.
Prisoners are counted four times a day so he could not have been gone more than a few hours before he was missed, said Lewis.
Musto apparently went over a fence, although officials are checking video as they investigate, Lewis said.
Musto began serving time in September 2011 for a for vehicular assault conviction in Thurston County and was scheduled for release in February 2013.
Lewis said authorities do not know Musto's motive, but since an escape conviction could lead to several more years in prison, "that might be the first question we ask him."
"You have a foot out the door, there's little incentive," to escape, Lewis said.
There was nothing notable in Musto's prison record and his behavior had to be good to qualify for minimum security, Lewis said Thursday.
Minimum security is one of five units at the prison complex at Monroe, 24 miles northeast of Seattle. The unit holds about 460 of the 2,500 offenders housed in the state's second-largest prison, smaller by a few hundred inmates than the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center near the Tri-Cities.
Anyone spotting Musto is asked to call 911. He's described as white, 5-foot-8, 180 pounds with brown eyes and dark hair. He has tattoos on his right arm and left wrist.
It's been years since the last escape from the Monroe prison and Lewis couldn't recall one. Other recent problems at the facility, however, have made news.
A corrections officer was assaulted in the special offenders unit at Monroe in August and had to be treated at a Seattle hospital.
And in January 2011, Corrections Officer Jayme Biendl was strangled in the prison chapel. Inmate Byron Scherf is charged with aggravated murder and is scheduled for trial in March in Everett.
Even prisoners don't want to be free under Obama.
 @Maynard G Krebbs Good, rot in jail then, goes for him and everyone else sharing his sentiments
You don't get any less time if you turn yourself in, and no more time added on, if you stay on the run. I bet I know which one he is not going to do.
Says something about the prison chow...
I'm a firm believer of what they show in the movie when someone does an escape, or attempts an escape so close to release. Something is going on - inside (fear for life or fear for safety) or the outside (someone care about in so much trouble willing to risk it all).
Â
I'm not condoning an escape, or the help with an escape. But there is probably A LOT more to this story.
Maybe he has bad news from home. Â That can cause a person's brain to reset to a lower level of need.
Maybe he is just a dumbarse. He is going to be caught and he will get to the point that he would have been free had he just stayed in, but now he gets to do it again.
Apparently Stupid likes life on the INSIDE!
I'm not sure why a criminal with only 3 months left would escape prison. My guess is either a) the opportunity looked too good to pass up, b) he wants a longer prison term so might as well commit a crime to extend the stay, or c) he's dumber than Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber.
 @Koreanman012 Doesn't want to live with Obama care.
 @Koreanman012 d) All of the above.
@JLS1950 @Koreanman012 e) he wanted to catch the latest episodes of Dancing with the Stars!
Just an observation: Monroe is and has been problematic pertaining to security!
He simply wants to get caught and extend his stay in prison, rather than deal with life on the outside.
 @boochyan28 Most do.... Sometimes I wonder who has it the hardest.... Us on the outside or those on the inside.... Maybe one day it will become clear to the general public prison is a picnic.....
prison is already a picnic and the judicial system is a joke. The show "Locked Up Abroad" is proof that US prisons are like a 5-star resort compared to other countries.
 @Glassman I wouldn't want to work with their officers or administration whatsoever.... I remember that officers let her down and administration.
 @newsreader I double-dog-dare you to go up to Monroe and take the tour.
 @Funky-Munky  @boochyan28 Prison is no picnic. the only people that say that are people who have never been there. But prison has structure and its not government structure, its prisoner structure and people get used to that. Its something they can rely on and in most cases its the closest to family that they have. We need to offer them something better than a criminal family for support. There is nothing good for them once they leave prison, its nothing but a hard life ahead of them. Granted they chose their path but if we want to enjoy a reasonably peaceful society we need to find a better way of reintegrating them back into our society.
 @Glassman It was the officers who let her down. I am referring to offenders incarcerated in Washington State camp cupcake prisons.
 @Funky-Munky  @Blindman Ask Corrections Officer Jayme Biendl about a cakewalk..
 @Blindman You're 100% wrong.... I just happened to work in one.... visited some in California that were Hell! Up here in Washington State a cake walk.....
just went from 3 mos to 3 more yrs once he's caught....WTG dude!!
 @bartle_doo I believe it's 5yrs. but who knows....
The great intellectual power of the criminal. I hear the sound of a toy squeaking.
what an Idiot! Once they find him he might wanna get comfy in his jumpsuit because his stay is far from being over now!
How dumb. He just turned 3 months in to a few years.
I'll assume that even though he only had 3 months left, he would have been back shortly anyway. Seems like a real smart guy that should stay out of trouble with little problem ;)-
3 months left and he escapes? Â What an idiot. Â
The authorities saying that they have a idea where he may be at is already tipping him off, There is somewhere obvious where he wants to be so they are basically telling him they know to look there.Â
Must of tried to run over a cop anyone else there never would of been jail time...
 @Windowseat what hell is must of and would of
 @Larry*X*K  @Windowseat I was curious what a "cop anyone else" is supposed to be, and if this escaped inmate stole the punctuation out of Windowseat's post.Â
 @Chitownhawksfan  @MargeGunderson  @Larry*X*K  @Windowseat Larry has a point on this one.  I can't figure out what the guy is saying for the life of me.  Correct grammar would have gone a long way here.
 @MargeGunderson  @Larry*X*K  @Windowseat Marge and Larry, get a life, People who go to this thread just to correct everyone"s punctuation are so lame, I know thats all Larry does. Sorry we are all not as smart as you two. Just because you punctuate and spell properly does not mean you are not losers.Â
Men only do these kind of stupid things when a woman is involved.
 @Klondiko his woman was his cellmate
Or his cellmate was his Daddy.
Haha! Do we really have that much power? ;-)
What a dumbass.
Simple explanation: He's become institutionalized. The digs a Monroe, w/ 3 squares a day, full medical, very nice gym, industrial jobs if you want one are so nice, he can't fathom how he can achieve that outside in an Obama World.
I've been an officer at Monroe and at work-release and I've seen it plenty of times. When they're caught and "interviewed" behind closed doors, they'll begin crying....blubbering about, "How am I gonna get a job, and a place to live? I have to get a car, pay for  insurance, utilities, telephone..........." It's overwhelming for many of them,
 particularly when, due to the economy, they know they cannot match their lifestyle when they went in.Â
 @bagsofdirt Yep. I know of a couple of people in that situation myself. They just can't reintegrate into society again. Prison has become their home. Once someone screws up and has a felony it is virtually impossible to reenter society. No one will hire you so you have no way to support yourself and the vast majority are forced back into crime. Just warehousing people is not improving our society. Put them to work in state jobs. Make all state jobs last no more than 10 years. The vast majority don't require hardly any training. Give the poor and the felons an opportunity to have these jobs for 10 years to learn a trade and gain some experience and stability. Then cycle them out and hire new ones. Will save a ton of money on over inflated pension programs and it gives people a chance to dig themselves out of the hole they're in. Everyone wins.
@Blindman ....I actually kinda like that plan....at the absolute very least, make them work inside to acclimate them to a schedule. I remember when Twin Rivers first opened up. The State, in all it's wisdom had built the double perimeter fence around this monstrous pile of dirt (probably 30,000 cu yards). They had to truck it all out, processing each vehicle through security. Prior to that, the inmates had come to us, begging us to put them to work moving the dirt....just to give them something to do.  Â
But Blindman, that would require government spending, even if it will create jobs and keep felons from recommitting crimes. And, we simply can't have that.
 @justsayin It would result in lower government spending mainly because of the loss of the pension program which is hugely expensive to tax payers. Plus I would lower the salaries to be more in line with private industry jobs. And then on top of that we should be able to enjoy less costs of the prison system as criminals rejoin society. But you would have to fight the government unions on a program like this. Very difficult.
 @bagsofdirt Exactly.  This was a preemptive strike against freedom.
 @belsnickles  @bagsofdirt Thats funny - a strike against freedom?! But I was in the Issaquah jail for 8 months and there was alot of guys in there that said when your in prison for a long time its hard when you get out because youve been treated almost like a baby - food brought to you 3 times a day....Spoiled. Plus then alot of people dont want to hire felons.
 @Andy Pollow Excellent observations....
Dumb & Dumber. He qualifies for both at the same time.
He seems like low risk...I hope they don't shoot him.