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Mississippi inmate, prison employee arrested after escape

By Malaysia McCoy Sep 13, 2024 | 11:24 AM

OXFORD, Miss. (WJTV) – Oxford police assisted Carroll County deputies with the arrest of an escaped inmate and a prison employee.

Authorities said Ryan Burks, 39, of Ridgeland, escaped from the Carroll County Regional Correctional Facility on Wednesday, September 11. Carroll County deputies said the facility went into lockdown and began emergency procedures. At that time, they discovered that a kitchen employee was also missing.

Investigators determined that the employee, Leslie Nichole McNeal, 44, of Grenada, left the property with Burks in the car.

The vehicle was later spotted in Lafayette County. Authorities attempted to stop the vehicle, but the vehicle did not stop. The car eventually wrecked, and both occupants were arrested.

Oxford police said Burks was arrested for felony fleeing in a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He was turned over to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and later transferred to the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC).

  • Ryan Burks (Courtesy: Oxford Police Dept.)
  • Ryan Burks (Courtesy: Carroll Co. Sheriff’s Office)
  • Leslie Nichole McNeal (Courtesy: Carroll Co. Sheriff’s Office)

Burks was serving a 30 year sentenced for two counts of sexual battery and one count of burglary.

McNeal was transported to a local hospital for treatment and later charged with felony aiding and abetting. She is being held at the Lafayette County Jail.