Two inmates escaped earlier today from Southwest Virginia Regional Jail in Abingdon, VA. The suspects do have ties to the northern border of our county. Please be alert, keep your families safe, lock all home/car doors and call 911 immediately if you see anything suspicious.
Reward: A $5000.00 reward each ($10000.00 combined) is being offered for information leading to the apprehension of the two escapees.
Please read the full release below, suspect(s) do have a violent criminal history.
– Release from Washington Co. VA Sheriff’s Office –
ABINGDON, VA, January 26, 2023 — Around 2:45 p.m. on January 26, 2023, two inmates escaped the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority in Abingdon, Virginia, from a recreational yard. The two inmates being Johnny Shane Brown, age 51 of Rogersville, Tennessee, and Albert Lee Ricketson, age 31 of Abingdon, Virginia.
Brown is a federal inmate, and Ricketson is double-homicide convicted murderer.
Brown is described as 182-pound white male who is 5 feet, 11 inches tall with gray hair. Ricketson is described as a 212-pound white male who is 5 feet, 8 inches tall with brown hair.
Brown and Ricketson were last seen wearing red jumpsuits, possibly wearing white t-shirts. It is believed these two subjects are travelling in a stolen gold-colored Cadillac SUV that has visible damage on the rear of the vehicle with Virginia license plates of UDZ-6049. The direction of travel is unknown at this time.
The sheriff’s office encourages for anyone who sees either men or the vehicle to call 911 immediately.
