PORT ST. JOE, Fla. – After leaving prison twice, a man who is already in jail is likely to get another sentence.
The State Attorney’s Office said that Rex Aaron Veasey, 31, escaped in October 2020 by climbing over two fences in the exercise yard of the prison center where he lived.
Officials say the Bay County Sheriff’s Office caught him a few hours later after getting a tip. After saying “no contest,” Veasey was given a 15-year jail term.
On September 7, Veasey and another inmate are said to have beaten a prison guard, dragged him into their cell, and locked him inside.
Gulf County Chief Prosecutor Tracy Smith showed proof that Veasey and the other inmate then went to the jail kitchen, took the AC unit off the wall, and left through a hole they made.
About 10 hours after he got away, Veasey and the other inmate were caught in Franklin County with the help of several agencies, tips, drones, airplanes, and tracking dogs.
Friday, Circuit Court Judge Devin Collier took the defendant’s plea to principal to run and principal abuse on a law enforcement officer and gave him another 15-year term.
When Veasey was first taken into custody, he was charged with sexual abuse, false imprisonment, and severe assault.
