Where Are They Now? The Shocking Final Status Of The Dannemora Prison Escape Convicts And Accomplice

Eight years after the most sensational prison break in New York State history, the memory of the 2015 Dannemora escape continues to fascinate and horrify the public. On June 6, 2015, convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat executed a meticulously planned escape from the maximum-security Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, triggering a massive, three-week-long manhunt across the rugged Adirondack wilderness. This audacious prison break, aided by a civilian employee, captured national attention and exposed major security flaws within the correctional system.

The question of "Where are they now?" has a starkly different answer for each of the three central figures—the two escapees and their accomplice, Joyce Mitchell. As of the current date, December 13, 2025, the fates of the two convicted killers have been sealed, while their former prison worker is attempting to rebuild a life far from the spotlight of the infamous correctional facility.

The Biographies: From Convicted Killers to Escapees

The two inmates who tunneled their way out of the Clinton Correctional Facility were serving lengthy sentences for brutal murders. Their profiles, and that of their civilian accomplice, are essential to understanding the escape and its aftermath.

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• Richard W. Matt
  • Date of Birth: June 25, 1966
  • Hometown: Tonawanda, New York
  • Original Crimes: Second-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Matt was serving 25 years to life for the 1997 murder and dismemberment of his 76-year-old former boss, William Rickerson, in Tonawanda. He also served time in a Mexican prison for a 2007 murder.
  • Escape Fate: Shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on June 26, 2015, in the town of Malone, New York.
• David Paul Sweat
  • Date of Birth: June 14, 1980
  • Hometown: Binghamton, New York
  • Original Crimes: First-degree murder of Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin J. Tarsia in 2002. Sweat and two accomplices ambushed and shot the deputy 15 times after robbing a video store. He was serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
  • Escape Fate: Shot and captured by a New York State Trooper on June 28, 2015, near the Canadian border. He survived his injuries.
• Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell
  • Date of Birth: 1964 (Age 51 at time of sentencing)
  • Occupation: Former tailor shop instructor at Clinton Correctional Facility.
  • Crime/Sentence: Pled guilty to first-degree promoting prison contraband and fourth-degree criminal facilitation for providing the inmates with tools (hacksaw blades, drill bits, and a punch) and plotting to be their getaway driver. She was sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.

Richard Matt and David Sweat: The Final Status of the Escapees

The manhunt for the two convicted murderers was one of the largest and most expensive in New York State history, involving over 1,300 law enforcement officers and covering thousands of square miles of dense forest near the Canadian border. The search concluded with two dramatic and violent confrontations.

Richard Matt: Death in the Woods

Richard Matt's time on the run ended abruptly after 20 days. On June 26, 2015, a Border Patrol agent encountered Matt in a wooded area near the town of Malone, New York. Matt was shot and killed after failing to comply with commands. An autopsy confirmed he was highly intoxicated at the time of his death, having consumed alcohol found at a cabin he had broken into.

David Sweat: Recaptured and Re-incarcerated

David Sweat was captured two days after Matt's death, on June 28, 2015, just 1.5 miles from the Canadian border. He was shot twice in the torso by a New York State Trooper and critically wounded, but survived. After recovering at Albany Medical Center, he was immediately transferred back into the state prison system.

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Sweat was charged with escape and sentenced to an additional 3 1/2 to 7 years, which must be served after his original life sentence. Due to his history and the high-profile nature of his crime, he has been moved multiple times between maximum-security facilities, including Five Points Correctional Facility and Wende Correctional Facility.

David Sweat's Current Location: As of the latest confirmed reports, David Sweat is incarcerated at the maximum-security Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York. He is serving his sentence of life without the possibility of parole, with the added time for the prison break, ensuring he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life.

Joyce Mitchell and Gene Palmer: The Accomplices' Fates

The escape would never have happened without the aid of civilian staff. Joyce Mitchell, a prison tailor shop instructor, admitted to providing the tools—including hacksaw blades and drill bits—that allowed the inmates to cut through steel walls and steam pipes. She became romantically involved with both Matt and Sweat, a classic case of manipulation by convicted murderers.

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Joyce Mitchell's Release and Private Life

Mitchell was sentenced in 2015 to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison. After serving several years, she was denied parole multiple times. However, she was eventually approved for release and was let out of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County, New York, in February 2020. Her release was to community supervision, where she will remain monitored for the remainder of her sentence.

Since her release, Joyce Mitchell has retreated entirely from the public eye. She reportedly returned to her family and has kept the details of her life private, attempting to live a quiet existence away from the intense media scrutiny that followed the 2015 escape.

The Correctional Officer's Role

Correctional Officer Gene Palmer also faced charges in connection with the escape. Palmer admitted to smuggling tools and paint tubes to the inmates in frozen meat, though he claimed he was unaware they were planning an escape. He was sentenced to six months in jail for his role in the affair, but was released after serving a four-month sentence. Like Mitchell, Palmer has since kept a low profile, seeking to distance himself from the Dannemora scandal.

The Legacy of the Dannemora Prison Break

The 2015 prison break was a profound embarrassment for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). The investigation that followed revealed significant systemic failures, including lax security, poor oversight of civilian employees, and a culture of complacency at the Clinton Correctional Facility.

In the years since the escape, the facility has undergone major security overhauls, including reinforced walls, new surveillance systems, and stricter protocols for staff interaction with inmates. The incident also spurred a renewed focus on the psychological manipulation tactics used by high-risk inmates, particularly against vulnerable civilian employees like Joyce Mitchell. The story has been immortalized in the Showtime miniseries *Escape at Dannemora*, starring Benicio del Toro, Paul Dano, and Patricia Arquette, cementing its place in the annals of true crime history. The final status of the key players—one dead, one back in maximum-security, and one living a life of quiet shame—serves as a grim conclusion to one of the most daring prison escapes of the 21st century.