Washington Co. escaped inmates arrested; stolen car found

ABINGDON, Va. (WDBJ) - Johnny Shane Brown and Albert Lee Ricketson, escaped inmates from Abingdon, were found and arrested in Hawkins Co., Tennessee Friday, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. They were found about four miles from where the stolen vehicle they had been driving was found.

The two inmates were located hiding in the upstairs of a barn along Cupp Hollow Road in Rogersville, Tennessee.

Both will be held in separate jails without bond until further notice.

EARLIER STORY: Two inmates who escaped from jail in Washington County Thursday are still on the loose, but the stolen car they were believed to be driving has been found.

About 2:45 p.m. January 26, 2023, Johnny Shane Brown, 51 and Albert Lee Ricketson, 31, escaped from the recreational yard of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority in Abingdon.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is working with Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority and Virginia State Police, to track and capture both men.

Investigators say the gold Cadillac SUV believed to have been stolen by Brown and Ricketson from Abingdon has been found in Hawkins County, Tennessee, on Route 66 in Bulls Gap. They have no information about what vehicle, if any, the men moved to.

Brown is 182 pounds, white and 5′ 11″ with gray hair. Ricketson is 212 pounds, white and 5′ 8″ with brown hair. When they escaped, they were wearing red jumpsuits and white t-shirts.

A $5,000 reward for each man is being offered by the U.S. Marshals Service for information leading to the apprehension of the two escapees.

Brown and Ricketson are considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees them or has information about their whereabouts is asked to call 911 and not approach or engage either man.