Inmates Escape by Removing Toilet From Jail Wall, 1 Still At-Large

ByEMILY SHAPIRO ABCNews logo
Tuesday, December 27, 2016

One inmate is still at-large after allegedly removing a leaky toilet to make an escape from a Tennessee jail, officials said, and five have been captured.

Six inmates from the Cocke County Jail Annex in Newport made the escape Christmas Day around 1:30 a.m., the Cocke County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, but five of them have since been apprehended.

The early-morning getaway was prompted by a water leak behind a toilet, the sheriff's office said.

"The bolts holding the unit rusted out and there was prior damage to the concrete due to plumbing repairs," they added.

The inmates removed the toilet from the wall, the sheriff's office said, and "gained access to a hole, which led outside of the facility."

Still on the run is David Wayne Frazier, 54, who is considered to be dangerous, according to the sheriff's office. Frazier was in custody for alleged aggravated robbery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

ABC News' Catherine Cole contributed to this report.

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