MACON, GA – Four inmates, including a murder suspect, managed to escape from the Bibb County Detention Center in Georgia in the early hours of Monday morning, sparking a widespread search by law enforcement agencies. The escape occurred when the inmates exploited a damaged window and cut through a fence, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Around 3 a.m., a blue Dodge Challenger arrived at the facility to facilitate their getaway.
The escaped inmates have been identified as Joey Fournier, 52, who was incarcerated on murder charges; Marc Kerry Anderson, 24, accused of aggravated assault; Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, 37, detained by U.S. marshals; and Chavis Demaryo Stokes, 29, facing charges of possession of a firearm and drug trafficking.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, have launched a manhunt to locate and apprehend the escapees. In response to the incident, the Bibb County School District announced that it had implemented a “soft lockdown” in its 38 schools. This measure allowed classroom instruction to continue while limiting outdoor activities during the day.
Sheriff David Davis of Bibb County held a news conference, emphasizing that the escaped inmates could be anywhere, and their current status, whether they are together or separated, remains uncertain. He urged the public to report any information related to the escapees, stating, “Somebody that sees this tonight knows where these four people are, and somebody is probably laughing at the TV set saying, ‘They’ll never get us.’ We will catch them. They will come back to jail. It’s just a matter of time.”
Bibb County is located approximately 85 miles south of Atlanta, with Macon serving as the county seat. This incident follows a recent high-profile escape involving convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison last month and remained at large for nearly two weeks.