UPDATE April 17, 2020: Both subjects are in custody
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at 4:59 a.m. on Thursday, April 16th from Columbia Correctional Institution (CCI) reporting that an inmate escaped from the prison. Immediately, Portage Police Department Officers and Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to CCI. Within minutes, officers arrived and met with CCI staff. After deputies were on scene at CCI, they learned that there were 2 inmates that had escaped.
The investigation revealed that James Robert Newman and Thomas E. Deering had escaped by climbing over two of the security fences. A neighborhood search was immediately conducted. Law enforcement initially used drones and K9 Units to search the area around the prison.
It was quickly learned that the two escaped prisoners had gone to a local hotel and were picked up by the Portage Cab and transported and dropped off in Poynette, WI. Initial information is that the escaped inmates had already left the Portage area prior to law enforcement being notified of the escape.
This is an ongoing and fluid investigation. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the FBI, US Marshal’s Office, Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigations, the Wisconsin State Patrol, Portage Police Department, and the Poynette Police Department. CCI is fully cooperating and assisting with this investigation.
It is believed that the suspects traveled out of the area earlier this morning.
