Investigators Are On The Prowl After Noxubee County Inmate Escapes

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- For the second time in less than a month an inmate has escaped from the Noxubee County Community Work Center.

Investigators are now asking for the public’s help to find 20-year-old Darrell Jamal Harper.

Macon Police Chief Davine Beck said Harper was inside the Noxubee County Community Work Center cleaning the building.

However, around 12:30 Tuesday afternoon while everyone was on lunch break, Harper said he was going to go get some more cleaning supplies and then wandered off.

Turns out, that’s when he made is getaway.

According to Beck, Harper hopped the outside fence and then made a mad dash to the woods nearby.

Chief Beck describes the inmate as being 5’10, weighing 175 pounds with a medium skin tone complexion.

He was last seen wearing green striped pants, a white shirt, and a MDOC jacket.

Harper was in jail was serving time for a burglary charge.

According to the police chief, the Benton County man was actually set to be released in less than three weeks prior to Tuesday’s escape.

“It’s very important for us to catch people like that,” said Chief Beck. “Even though he’s in for burglary, he’s desperate. He can go steal a vehicle, he can do home invasions, it’s all sorts of things he can do because his mind is wandering. He just wants to get free and he possibly can hurt someone trying to get that freedom.”

The Mississippi Department of Corrections and the Macon Police Department spent much of Tuesday evening searching for Harper.

The search was called off once nightfall came.

However, investigators will resume the search Wednesday morning.

“I think he’ll do anything, he’s just a threat to the general public as of now,” Beck expressed. “It’s important if they see him, call us and let us take it from there. Don’t try to interact with him, don’t try to fight him or anything, just call us we’ll get there as quick as possible and let us do our job.”

According to Beck, he believes a yellow mustang with a Benton County tag was seen trying to pick up Harper.

If you’ve seen this vehicle or have any information on Harper’s whereabouts your’e asked to contact 911 or the Macon Police Department.