A TEXAS death-row inmate somehow found some civilian clothing, changed out of his orange jumpsuit and used a fake ID badge to escape late Thursday from the Harris County Jail.
Charles Victor Thompson, 35, of Tomball, was in Houston after being re-sentenced last week to execution.
'He managed to get some civilian clothing. He had changed out of the orange jumpsuit that inmates ordinarily wear,' Harris County sheriff John Martin said.
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'He may have been taken out of the cell block and put in the attorney booth in the guise of having an attorney visit.'
The jail-issued jumpsuit Thompson had been wearing was found in a room on the second floor used by attorneys to meet their clients in private.
He may have used the room to change into the civilian clothes he wore when he walked out the front door, officials said.
Mr Martin said: 'We just don't have all of the exact details about how that took place. That is something we're going to be looking at - exactly why he was out of his cell block.'
In addition to the civilian clothes, Thompson also had some type of identification card suggesting he worked for the Texas Attorney-General's office that he used to pass through the cell block's security checkpoint.
'It was convincing enough that the deputy let him out of the facility,'
Mr Martin said.
Officials did not want to disclose the specific tactics, but said the teams would comb through any likely escape routes Thompson might have taken from the jail. They will also investigate any potential sightings.
A security review of jail procedures was ordered to determine how a prisoner sentenced to death managed to get his hands on civilian clothing and a law enforcement identity card.
Mr Martin said prisoners are not allowed to have any physical contact with visitors.
Investigators were questioning jail employees.
'It definitely suggests that this was preplanned and strongly suggests that he had help in making his escape,' said Mr Martin.
MANHUNT
Although his escape triggered an extensive multi-agency manhunt in the downtown Houston area, officials didn't know if Thompson fled on foot or used a vehicle for his getaway.
'We don't have a good indication of direction of travel,' Mr Martin said.
'Right now, all of our efforts are focused on trying to locate (Thompson).
'It's extremely important to us that he be taken off the street as soon as possible.'
Thompson was condemned for the 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Ms Dennise Hayslip, 39, of Tomball, and her new boyfriend, Mr Darren Keith Cain, 30, of Spring.
The escape shocked the family members of Thompson's victims.
'This is something that's just unfathomable to me,' said Ms Hayslip's brother, Mr Mike Donaghy, 45, of Tomball.
'How can a convicted murderer get away like that? How did he get in civilian clothes? How did he get a badge?'
- AP.
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