Who is Joey Fournier? Manhunt ensues as murder suspect and three other inmates escape Georgia prison
MACON, GEORGIA: A manhunt has been launched for a suspected murderer, Joey Fournier, and three other inmates who escaped from the Bibb County Detention Center on Monday, October 16.
During a press conference, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis noted that the inmates were able to escape the detention center through a faulty window in the second-story dayroom at around 3 am.
Fournier, Marc Kerry Anderson, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, and Chavis Demaryo Stokes then left jail property through a broken fence.
Davis also stated that the jail staff finally learned about the escape nearly 3 hours later when they noticed that there was a break in the perimeter and saw the men leaving on camera, according to the ABC News.
The surveillance footage also captured a blue Dodge Challenger that had been just outside the jail earlier in the night. As of now, the sheriff is not certain whether the four men left in the challenger but police are currently looking to question the car's owner.
“They could be anywhere,” the sheriff said, adding he was unaware of any connections between the men prior to their custody and whether they remained together after their escape.
Authorities from the local, state, and federal levels are looking for the four guys in what the sheriff described as an "all hands on deck situation." A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the recapture of the men.
What are the allegations against Joey Fournier?
The 52-year-old Fournier, who is described as a 5 feet, 9 inches tall White guy with grey hair and blue eyes, was being held on a murder charge after he was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Cynthia Berry, in February 2022.
Fournier was arrested in Rome, Georgia, just two days after the 49-year-old Berry was found strangled to death in her home in Macon's Barrington Hall subdivision, the 13 WMAZ reported.
During the investigation, officers also learned that Fournier allegedly told friends that he strangled Berry in her home.
Shortly after his arrest, Fournier was supposed to make his first appearance in court but did not show up as he was placed in the jail's infirmary on suicide watch.
They also arrested Fournier's brother, Jeffrey, who deputies say drove him to Rome. Jeffrey Fournier was later released, and his charges were dropped.
Fournier’s next court hearing was scheduled for November 1 as part of a calendar call to obtain basic updates, such as whether or not he was prepared for trial.
Who are the other escaped inmates?
The 24-year-old Anderson is a Black male with dreadlocks and is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. Anderson was arrested in January 2021 for aggravated assault.
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Stokes, who is described as a 5ft 7 in tall Black man with short hair, was being held on charges of possession of a firearm and drug trafficking.
The fourth escapee, Barnwell, 37, was detained by the US Marshals after being convicted on federal charges related to the “armed distribution of large quantities of drugs,” officials from the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia said in a news release.
Following the escape, schools in the area were notified, but the sheriff said during the press conference that he had no reason to believe that the inmates would go near the schools.
"Somebody that sees this tonight knows where these four people are. And somebody is probably laughing at the TV set saying, 'They'll never catch us. They'll never catch us.' We will catch them. They will come back to the jail. It's just a matter of when," the sheriff said.