7 Shocking Real-Life Details Of The Dannemora Prison Break: Where Are The Escapees Now In 2025?

The 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape, a brazen jailbreak from New York’s maximum-security prison in Dannemora, remains one of the most sensational true crime stories of the last decade. On June 6, 2015, two convicted murderers, Richard Matt and David Sweat, vanished, triggering a 23-day, multi-million-dollar manhunt across the rugged Adirondack wilderness that captivated the world.

To this day, the sheer audacity and methodical planning of the escape—aided by a seemingly ordinary prison employee—raise questions about prison security and the psychological manipulation employed by career criminals. With the 10-year anniversary approaching, the real story of Dannemora continues to be revisited, revealing a "culture of carelessness" and the lasting impact on the lives of those involved, including the accomplice who was released in 2020.

The Masterminds: Full Biographies of Richard Matt and David Sweat

The success of the escape hinged on the combined criminal experience and manipulative charm of the two inmates. Both men were serving lengthy sentences for brutal murders, yet they found a way to exploit the complacency of a maximum-security prison.

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Richard W. Matt (The Manipulator)

• Born: June 25, 1966, in Tonawanda, New York.
• Criminal History: Matt was a career criminal with a history of violence and previous escape attempts. He had been incarcerated multiple times since his youth.
• Primary Crime: In 1997, he kidnapped, tortured, and dismembered his former boss, William Rickerson, in a gruesome murder plot. He fled to Mexico, where he was arrested for a separate murder before being extradited back to the US.
• Sentence: 25 years to life.
• Role in Escape: The charismatic leader and primary manipulator of Joyce Mitchell, using his charm and promises to secure the necessary tools and assistance.
• Fate: Shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on June 26, 2015, in the town of Malone, New York.

David Sweat (The Planner)

• Born: June 14, 1980, in Deposit, New York.
• Criminal History: Sweat had a history of theft and burglary.
• Primary Crime: In 2002, at age 22, he shot and killed Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Tarsia during a robbery of a fireworks store in Kirkwood, New York.
• Sentence: Life without parole.
• Role in Escape: The meticulous planner and engineer of the breakout. Sweat was responsible for the detailed work of cutting through the steel walls and pipes.
• Fate: Shot and captured by a New York State Police Sergeant on June 28, 2015, near the Canadian border.

The Anatomy of the Escape: A Detailed Timeline of the Breakout

The escape from Clinton Correctional Facility, known locally as "Old Sparky," was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a sophisticated, months-long operation. The plan relied on exploiting an old, vulnerable infrastructure and the human element—specifically, the trust of a prison worker.

Phase 1: The Seduction and Contraband

The entire plot began in the prison tailor shop, where Joyce "Tillie" Mitchell worked as an industrial training supervisor. Richard Matt, a talented artist, and David Sweat, a quiet worker, were assigned to her shop. Matt began a psychological game, showering Mitchell with attention and gifts, leading to a sexual relationship.

Mitchell, a married mother, became emotionally invested and, under the influence of the two murderers, agreed to smuggle contraband into the facility. Over several months, she brought in hacksaw blades, chisels, a punch, and drill bits concealed in frozen meat and a tool bucket.

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Phase 2: Cutting Through the Walls

The inmates' cells were located in an outdated section of the prison. Using the tools provided by Mitchell, Matt and Sweat methodically cut through the steel back wall of their adjacent cells. The noise of the nightly work was masked by the sounds of the prison's maintenance and heating systems.

They climbed down a six-story catwalk, navigated a maze of pipes and tunnels beneath the prison, and eventually used the tools to cut through a 24-inch steel steam pipe. This pipe led them directly to a manhole cover outside the prison walls on a residential street in Dannemora.

Phase 3: The Manhunt and Capture

The escape was discovered on the morning of June 6, 2015, when correctional officers found stuffed clothing dummies in their beds. A handwritten note left behind read, "Have a nice day." The discovery launched a massive, 23-day manhunt involving over 1,300 law enforcement officers, including the New York State Police, FBI, and Border Patrol, sweeping through the dense forests of the Adirondacks.

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The search ended violently: Richard Matt was killed on June 26, 2015, after being spotted near a cabin and refusing to surrender. David Sweat was captured two days later on June 28, 2015, just 1.5 miles from the Canadian border, after being shot twice by a State Trooper as he ran across a field.

The Aftermath: Where Are David Sweat and Joyce Mitchell Now?

The escape exposed critical security flaws at Clinton Correctional Facility and led to significant legal and personal consequences for the individuals involved. The story continues to evolve, with the system and the remaining participants still dealing with the fallout.

Joyce Mitchell’s Release and Life Post-Prison

Joyce Mitchell was arrested a week after the escape and pleaded guilty to felony promoting prison contraband and misdemeanor criminal facilitation. She was sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison.

Her time behind bars did not last the full seven years. Mitchell was granted parole and was officially released from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility on February 6, 2020, to community supervision. She was on supervised release until June 2022. Mitchell has largely remained out of the public eye since her release, attempting to resume a quiet life after her husband, Lyle Mitchell, stood by her throughout the ordeal.

David Sweat’s Current Status and Incarceration

David Sweat survived his capture and was immediately transferred to a different maximum-security facility. For his role in the escape, he was sentenced to an additional 3.5 to 7 years, to be served consecutively with his original life sentence.

Due to his high-risk status and the need to prevent any further escape attempts, Sweat has been moved to several different facilities across the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYS DOCCS) system. While his exact, real-time location is closely guarded, the most recent public records indicate he is currently incarcerated at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York.

The Institutional Failures and Security Upgrades

The New York State Inspector General’s office conducted an extensive investigation into the escape, which revealed a "culture of carelessness" at Clinton Correctional Facility. The report detailed security lapses, including:

• Correctional officers failing to conduct proper rounds and cell checks.
• A lack of supervision in the tailor shop, allowing Mitchell and the inmates to develop their relationship.
• Outdated and vulnerable infrastructure that had been neglected for years, making the tunneling possible.

In the years following the escape, Clinton Correctional Facility underwent a number of significant security upgrades and procedural changes. These included reinforced cell walls, improved surveillance systems, and stricter protocols for contraband and inmate-staff interaction. The incident served as a costly and dramatic lesson on the dangers of complacency in the correctional system.