Two Convicted Murderers Escape in N.Y.

2 murderers escape from Elmira prison

Man who killed pregnant woman in Binghamton is one of escapees

BY SALLE E. RICHARDS
Link to story Gannett News Service

A rope made of bed sheets tied together hangs down a wall of the Elmira Correctional Facility on Monday in Elmira. It was allegedly used by inmates Timothy G. Morgan and Timothy A. Vail to escape the maximum-security facility.

Gannett News Service

Timothy A. Vail Killed Binghamton woman in 1988

Timothy G. Morgan Killed Gloversville cab driver in 1998

Two murderers, including one from Broome County, chipped through a concrete ceiling, pried open a roof ventilation system and shimmied down a bed-sheet rope to escape a maximum-security prison late Sunday or early Monday.

Timothy A. Vail and Timothy G. Morgan, serving sentences of 49 years to life and 25 years to life, respectively, were discovered missing from Elmira Correctional Facility around 6:30 a.m. Monday.

More than 100 police, correction officers, FBI agents, dogs and helicopters were mobilized after the breakout was discovered. Roads out of Elmira were blocked all day as officers holding shotguns checked each vehicle, causing long delays on major routes.

The escapees:

* Vail, 35, formerly of Endicott, is serving 49 years to life for second-degree murder, first-degree rape, burglary and robbery in the 1988 slaying of Binghamton law-office secretary Mary Kopyar. She was 23 years old and eight months pregnant when Vail raped and strangled her as she prepared to close the office where she worked. Vail was the son of one of Kopyar's co-workers. He was in the midst of a burglary when Kopyar surprised him. Vail is eligible for parole in 2037.

* Morgan, 26, of Fulton County is serving 25 years to life for second-degree murder and first-degree robbery in the 1998 slaying of cab driver Joseph Boop in Gloversville. On Feb. 23, 1998, Morgan summoned a taxi and told Boop he was carrying a shotgun for a hunting trip. On a remote road west of Albany, he argued with Boop over the fare and shot him twice in the head. Police said he took $90 from the dead man's pocket and spent some of it on beer. He is eligible for parole in 2023.

James Flateau, spokesman for the state Department of Correctional Services, said efforts Monday were focused on recapturing the men and that a detailed analysis of the escape will come later. He said prison officials searched the facility about an hour before sounding the escape siren.

Here is what's known about the escape:

Morgan and Vail were cellmates in one of the facility's 88 double-bunked cells. Their 8-foot-by-10-foot cell was on the top of a four-story block of cells at the southeast end of the facility. The prison is built to house 1,856 inmates.

They escaped through an 8-inch-by-12-inch hole in the ceiling above the bunk bed by breaking through about 5 inches of concrete and steel. A sledgehammer apparently used in the escape was found in the men's cell. It probably was stolen from one of several construction sites in the building, union officials said.

A piece of black cardboard, held in place by toothpaste, concealed the hole in the ceiling, which is painted black.

The men had fashioned dummies in their beds. The dummies included realistic heads with hair.

They used about 50 feet of bed sheets tied together to make a rope to scale the facility's outer wall. There is no razor wire on the roof, prison officials said.

Their absence was discovered during a check by officers at 6:30 a.m. They had last been seen at 10:30 p.m. Sunday; their cell was last inspected June 6.

Flateau said Morgan and Vail should not have had access to the construction sites, and their prison jobs shouldn't have brought them into contact with construction tools. Vail worked in the woodworking shop; Morgan worked half-days in the gymnasium and the other half on his General Educational Development diploma.

Grant Marin, western region vice president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association Inc., said Monday he predicted an escape might happen because the state has continued to ignore union requests for improved staffing and better safety measures at Elmira.

Flateau said he wouldn't respond to union comments because the focus was on catching the escapees and protecting the public, but added: "The union has nothing to do with running the prison."

Flateau said when prison units are in "lockdown" -- when prisoners are confined to their cells, such as at night -- fewer correction officers are needed. One officer was making rounds of the 123-inmate block during the 11 p.m.-to-7 a.m. shift, and another was at the duty station overnight Sunday.

The officer making rounds discovered that inmates were missing.

The facility was at full staff with 32 officers on duty on Sunday night, Flateau said. Two officers were assigned to the two outside watch towers.

For security reasons, he said he could not give more details on the escape, sightings or whether outside accomplices were involved.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chipped through the ceiling? FWIW a local news report had them using a sledge hammer. Unbelievable. A local corrections rep said that well, this was the first escape through the ceiling, implying I guess that corrections gets a pass since this has never happened before. Apparently they don't think that they're paid to think of these things ahead of time.

Are they taking suggestions?

The two prisoners have been caught. Located driving a white van in the area. More as soon as I find it.

Here's a link to WETM TV's coverage of the story.