Jason Laird (left) and Kandace Newton (Photos courtesy of Ozark County Sheriff’s Office)
A Missouri state prison escapee from Gainesville is in custody after being captured Saturday in Ozark County, and a local woman is now charged in connection with the incident. Forty-four-year-old Jason Laird was located in Brixey, and Kandace Newton faces a felony count of hindering prosecution.
Laird has been serving time in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a number of crimes in Ozark County. According to the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office, he allegedly escaped from his work detail in central Missouri Tuesday afternoon.
On Saturday, the Ozark County/Douglas County Multijurisdictional Task Force received information of Laird being in the area. During the search, the team observed an individual, identified as Newton, with local warrants. They made contact with Newton at a residence and took her into custody. While at the residence, Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase reportedly observed Laird enter the residence. While searching for Laird, the team discovered he had escaped again.
A citizen later reported seeing Laird attempting to flag a ride north of Missouri Route N. The team responded to the area and located a male attempting to cross the road. The male was identified as Laird and taken into custody without incident.
Newton is being held in the Ozark County Jail on a cash-only bond of $5,000.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI