Escaped murderer still on the loose after fellow escapee caught

Authorities were pressing their search for a convicted killer who escaped from an Ohio prison but a second escapee was caught early Wednesday.

Police in Henderson, Kentucky say a stolen vehicle both were thought to be in was spotted and officers tried to pull it over but a chase ensued.

According to Henderson police, the vehicle crashed and both fled on foot but one was arrested. The other was still on the lam.

Bradley Gillespie, 50, and James Lee, 47, were discovered missing Tuesday from the Allen/Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Ohio State Highway Patrol said. Gillespie was serving a murder sentence in the facility since 2016 and Lee was there since 2021 for burglary and safecracking.

Lee was the one apprehended in Kentucky and Gillespie was still being sought.

“We currently have a perimeter set up in the area … and we are using resources we have to locate Bradley Gillespie. We encourage the community to be vigilant, keep their doors locked, and contact 911 if you have any information about his location,” Henderson police said.

The Ohio agencies said Lee was found to be missing during a prisoner count late in the morning and a subsequent emergency count determined that Gillespie was also missing. They added that both were last seen on prison surveillance video Monday morning.

Ohio authorities were offering a reward of up to $21,000 for information leading to their capture. They warned that both should be considered dangerous and not to approach them.

The ODRC said it was also conducting an internal investigation.