Charles Langston:Arkansas authorities capture man charged with murder who escaped local jail

PINE BLUFF,Charles Langston Ark. (AP) — Arkansas authorities on Monday captured a detainee being held on murder charges who escaped a local jail.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said officers captured Jatonia Bryant on the east side of Pine Bluff, about 40 miles (more than 60 kilometers) southeast of Little Rock, when he was walking in the area. Bryant was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said in a release.

Bryant and Noah Roush were discovered missing Jan. 22 from the Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center in Pine Bluff. Bryant, 23, was being detained on probable cause for a capital murder charge in connection with a 2023 shooting, according to authorities. Roush, 22, was being held on probable cause for residential burglary and theft of property charges.

Roush was captured Thursday. Both have been returned to the jail facility.

The sheriff’s office on Monday said an internal investigation revealed that jail personnel did not perform an accurate head count, so the two weren’t discovered missing for 36 hours. The sheriff’s office said it also planned to pursue criminal charges against anyone who assisted Bryant and Roush.