HENNING, Tenn. — Update (8/11/19 12:30 p.m.)- Curtis Watson, the "extremely dangerous" inmate who escaped from the West Tennessee State Penitentiary, was captured Sunday.
He is suspected of killing a prison administrator, Debra Johnson, in her home on prison grounds Wednesday after escaping from his prison work detail.
Update (8/10/19 6:36 p.m.) - TBI has added $4,500 to the reward for information that leads to escaped inmate Curtis Ray Watson.
The reward now stands at $57,000.
Update (8/10/19 4:49 p.m.) - On day four of the search for Curtis Watson, the man accused of killing and sexually assaulting a Tennessee Department of Corrections employee - TBI said they've received 369 tips and still no credible sightings.
They still believe Watson to be in the surrounding area, and the reward remains at $52,500.
Update (8/9/19 4:20 p.m.) - The TBI has received more than 250 tips in its search for Curtis Watson, an "extremely dangerous" inmate who escaped from a West Tennessee prison on Wednesday and is believed to have killed a Tennessee Department of Correction employee.
So far, there have been no credible sightings, TBI spokesperson Keli McAlister said during a news conference Friday afternoon.
Residents in the immediate area around the prison should remain on alert, she said. TBI is continuing to ask locals to double-check their property for possible hiding places and report any unusual activity, or ask local law enforcement to do so if they feel uncomfortable.
The agency also wants folks to continue to check on their loved ones and neighbors, even if they recently heard from them.
McAlister said that the reward for information remains at $52,500.
"We want to give that money to somebody," she said.
She also asked that people remain aware in surrounding states as well, as officials do not know where he is.
"Since we've had no credible sightings, he could be anywhere," she said.
McAlister added that many state and local agencies are working on the case and using any available technology to find him, including tech like night vision.
"We want to focus on the fact that this is a very dangerous man, a very dangerous fugitive, and we want to catch him."
Update (8/9/19 3:20 p.m.): The TBI has released a more detailed timeline of Watson's escape and Debra Johnson's death.
At 7 a.m. on August 7, Watson was sent out on his daily mowing details that were part of his work detail.
Debra Johnson made a phone call at 8:30 a.m., and that's the last time anyone can confirm that she was still alive.
Correctional officers saw Watson, riding a facility golf cart, at Johnson's home, which is located on the grounds of the West Tennessee State Penitentiary.
Sometime between 9 and 10 a.m., investigators said Watson took a tractor and reflective vest from the prison and drove away.
It wasn't until 11 a.m. that prison officials realized that Watson was missing.
Johnson's co-workers discovered her body at 11:30 a.m. when she didn't show up for work.
Update (8/9/19 12:30 p.m.): The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a tweet on Friday that it has received 220 tips in the search for Curtis Ray Watson, an "extremely dangerous" inmate who escaped from a West Tennessee prison on Wednesday.
There still have not been any confirmed sightings in the case.
Update (8/8/19 3:30 p.m.): During a news conference Thursday, officials from various state agencies announced they had upped the reward for information on an "extremely dangerous" escaped inmate's whereabouts to $32,500.
Later in the day, TBI tweeted that the FBI and U.S. Marshal's Office had contributed $10,000 each as well, raising the reward to a total of $52,500.
Governor Bill Lee said during the conference that his office would contribute $25,000 to the reward. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms contributed an additional $5,000.
TBI Director David Rausch said during the conference that the agency is focusing its search efforts mainly on the West Tennessee area where Curtis Ray Watson escaped Wednesday.
Watson was an inmate at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary and was using a tractor as part of his job duties at the time of his escape.
Officials discovered he was missing after a Tennessee Department of Correction employee was found dead later Wednesday morning.
Debra Johnson, 64, was found in her home on the grounds of the West Tennessee State Penitentiary around 11:30 a.m., the TBI said in a news conference Wednesday night.
During Thursday's conference, officials said she was scheduled to have a meeting earlier in the day, and when she didn't show up, someone went to check on her.
The TBI said Johnson worked as a West Tennessee Correctional Administrator for the Tennessee Department of Correction. She was a 38-year veteran employee of the state of Tennessee.
Watson was originally a person-of-interest in the case of her death, but Rausch announced he is now a suspect.
Thursday afternoon, TBI also said on Twitter that it had secured warrants for Watson for first degree murder, especially aggravated burglary and aggravated sexual battery.
Rausch also said there had been no confirmed sightings of Watson, but that the department has received about 75 tips from across the region about his whereabouts and that they are checking on every single one.
He and other officials asked that Tennessee residents and others in the region continue to be vigilant as the search continues and to check their property for anything that might seem out of place, particularly items that could be used as weapons.
Officials also asked the public to look at anything on their property that could serve as a hiding place or contact law enforcement if they feel uncomfortable doing so.
They particularly wanted those who live in the West Tennessee area to check in on their neighbors and make sure they're alright.
"He could be anywhere," Rausch said. "He could be outside Tennessee."
The area where he disappeared was very rural, flat farmland, Rausch added, and that there was a nearby wooded area.
There was a community near where the tractor was recovered, Rausch said. Law enforcement has already gone to every one of the residences there to check and make sure people are safe.
Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Tony Parker also requested that members of the public who may have trail or surveillance cameras check those and report anything suspicious they might find.
"We will not rest until this offender is brought to justice," Parker said.
Parker also asked the public to keep Johnson's family and work family in their prayers in the days to come.
"Everything about Debra exemplified professionalism," Parker said during the conference. "Debra was just great people. We will never be able to replace someone like Debra Johnson."
Parker said Watson was qualified to be at the West Tennessee State Penitentiary when asked why he was kept at a minimum-security location.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said it is providing aviation support as one of the ways it's aiding in the search.
At the end of the conference, Josh DeVine, a TBI spokesperson, said that the bottom line message for the public was that although it can feel extremely powerless in this situation, folks do have power- they have the power to remain vigilant and check their property.
DeVine added that the agency is using all available technology to locate Watson.
"Suffice it to say, if there's something we can do as an agency to locate this individual, we are doing it."
Update (8/8/19 12:30 p.m.): The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a tweet that it has received "numerous" reports of sightings of escaped inmate Curtis Ray Watson from across the state, including in Marshall County.
So far, however, there have been no confirmed sightings.
Watson is a wanted fugitive who escaped from the West Tennessee State Penitentiary on Wednesday and is a person-of-interest in the homicide of a Tennessee Department of Correction employee.
Watson is on the TBI's Most Wanted List and a $2,500 reward is being offered.
The TBI said Watson should be considered extremely dangerous. If you see him, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.
Update (8/8/19 7:30 a.m.): The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released two older mug shots of an inmate who escaped from West Tennessee State Penitentiary on Wednesday and is a person-of-interest in the homicide of a correction employee.
TBI said on Twitter it released the older mug shots to show what Curtis Ray Watson looked like with different styles of facial hair in case he had altered his appearance after his escape.
The TBI said Watson should be considered extremely dangerous. If you see him, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.
Watson is on the TBI's Most Wanted List and a $2,500 reward is being offered.
Update (8/8/19 12:30 a.m.): Authorities are still searching for an inmate who escaped from West Tennessee State Penitentiary on Wednesday and is a person-of-interest in the homicide of a correction employee, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said early Thursday.
"At this hour, efforts to locate Curtis Ray Watson remain ongoing," TBI said in a tweet. "We have agents on the ground and in the air, joining with partner agencies to pursue any leads that present."
The TBI said Watson should be considered extremely dangerous. If you see him, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.
Watson is on the TBI's Most Wanted List and a $2,500 reward is being offered.
Original (8/7/19): An inmate who escaped from West Tennessee State Penitentiary on Wednesday has been named a person-of-interest in the homicide of a correction employee, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
District Attorney Mark Davidson said Lauderdale County deputies were investigating a suspected homicide at a home on Highway 87 across from the prison when they discovered the inmate was missing, according to NBC affiliate WMC in Memphis.
Debra Johnson, 64, was found dead in her home around 11:30 a.m., the TBI said in a news conference Wednesday night. She lived on the grounds of the West Tennessee State Penitentiary.
The TBI said Johnson worked as a West Tennessee Correctional Administrator for the Tennessee Department of Correction. She was a 38-year veteran employee of the state of Tennessee.
After she was found dead, a headcount was conducted at the prison and officers learned Curtis Ray Watson was missing. A Blue Alert was issued shortly after.
The TBI said he should be considered extremely dangerous.
Watson is on the TBI's Most Wanted List and a $2,500 reward is being offered.
Records show he has previous convictions for especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated child abuse and aggravated rape, WMC reported. Watson is 5'11", 140 pounds, with brown eyes, and long gray beard.
"Watson is serving a 15-year sentence on a conviction of especially aggravated kidnapping out of Henry County. His sentence began in 2013 and was set to expire in 2025," the TBI Commissioner David Parker said.
Watson was serving a work detail when he reportedly left on a tractor.
TBI Director David Rausch said the tractor was found about a mile and a half from the farm.
"We will continue to work throughout the night," Rausch said.
This is the third time a Blue Alert has been issued in the history of the program, which dates back to 2011, according to the TBI.
"The program uses the statewide infrastructure of the existing AMBER Alert system to push out critical information to the public to assist in apprehending violent criminals who kill or seriously injure law enforcement officers in the line of duty or to aid in locating a missing officer where foul play is involved," TBI said in a release.
You are urged to call 911 or 1-800-TBI-FIND if you see him.
