Police seek 2 escaped inmates near Mississippi prison

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Police said they’re searching for two escaped Mississippi inmates near the prison where they went missing.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman, Capt. Johnny Poulos, said Monday that agencies have credible information that 31-year-old Jonathan Blankenship and 28-year-old Christopher Benson High are in an area of Pearl about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the prison they escaped.

Jonathan Blankenship

Christopher High

Blankenship and High were found missing Friday from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility.

Rewards of up to $12,500 are being offered for information leading to their capture.

Poulos says officers from several agencies are searching the area. He’s urging people to report any sightings.

An inmate who escaped Friday from Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman – 59-year-old Benny Ray Blansett – was caught late Saturday at a checkpoint in Sunflower County.

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