IRONTON, Mo. (AP) - Three inmates who escaped from a southeast Missouri jail over the weekend were still on the loose Tuesday, authorities said.
The men escaped from the Iron County jail late Friday or early Saturday by pushing a block wall, climbing a ladder into an attic and escaping through another room, the U.S. Marshal's Service said.
Iron County Sheriff Jeff Burkett said Tuesday law enforcement authorities are receiving numerous tips that suggest the men are still in the area, which is surrounded by the Mark Twain National Forest. He said some tips suggest the men are still together while others indicate all three men aren't together.
The inmates are Tracy Brown, 57, who was jailed on burglary charges; Dwight Abernathie, 36, arrested on assault and sodomy charges; and Samuel Gillam, 35, arrested for kidnapping.
Authorities are offering a $2,500 reward for tips leading to the arrest of each man.
The U.S. Marshals Service is leading the search, with help from numerous federal, state, county and city agencies.