Transcripts For WCAU Dateline NBC 20150919

Go on behind prison bars. What did she know why didnt she stop it . Who could i tell . Who could i trust. Theres more to the story you havent heard. There was a gun. Joyce mitchell with her first and only interview. What have you lost in all this . The accomplice. Good evening everyone and welcome to dateline im matt laer. Two desperate convicts murders on the run after escaping with the help of a prison seamstress who may or may not have been in love with one of the killers. Tonight youll hear it all in our interview with the woman at the center of the story. A woman who claims that in a way she was a prisoner, too. The massive manhunt for the two escaped murders. An escaped manhunt that seems like a movie. How they got out, who is involved. It was an inside job we suspected almost immediately. Somebody knew somebody. No way possible that you could do it by yourself. Reporter somebody on the inside must have helped the two killers escape from the prison that was dubbed shawshank a feat no one had accomplished in living memory. Unbelievable. Perfect execution and wow. Reporter and then the world was shocked to find out that somebody, the inside man of the sophisticated houdini operation reporter was a middleaged woman, a wife and mother with no criminal background. For her to cross the line its absurd. Reporter her name Joyce Mitchell. I knew that they would blame me for all of it. Reporter until now, 51yearold Joyce Mitchell has been the enigma at the heart of the story that drew headlines all around the world. It started out as a flirtation. Unlikely accomplice of two coldblooded murderers, whose escape launched a thousandstrong manhunt and plunged terrified communities into a threeweek lockdown. These are extraordinarily dangerous men. Yes. Reporter who is she and why did she do it . You told lot of lies. I did. Reporter tonight the inside story of the prison break. Well reveal neverbeforeheard details about how they pulled it off. Well take you inside the manhunt and the deadly takedown. And, in her first and only interview, youll hear from the figure who became the lynchpin of the conspiracy. Im not the monster that everybody thinks i am. Im really not. Reporter from within the rural serenity of upstate new york, where vacationers come to camp, fish and hike, it rises unexpectedly like a titanic grey fortress. With its high walls, armed sentries and grim watchtowers, Clinton Correctional Facility radiates austerity. Maximum security. It was like a dungeon. Reporter for most of its 3,000 prisoners, like erik jensen, entering Clinton Correctional Facility was like entering hell. When you first go in there through the gates, you come through in the bus. And the gate shuts behind you. And you just look up and you could see, like, the walls surrounding you. And you feel you feel helpless in there. Reporter for officers like jeffery dumas, working at clinton correctional was practically a fight. Typically every day we had somethin to handle, whether it was just a fist fight, whether it was drugs bein found, whether it was a stabbing, a slashing, gang violence. Something like that typically always happened every day. Reporter in 2008, it was into this forbidding world that Joyce Mitchell, a seamstress, entered, to work in the prison tailor shop. And thats where we begin her story. We met her recent ly at Clinton County jail where she was awaiting sentencing for her role in the prison break. She was shackled, handcuffed, and at times seemed nervous and emotional as she revealed how she was drawn into an brazen plot by two cunning and desperate murderers. Reporter first of all, theres obviously an irony here in that you were someone who worked in a prison. Yes. Reporter and now youre being held behind bars. Whats it been like, so far . Its its nervewracking, because its not someplace that i would have ever expected to be. Reporter lets go to the beginning, then, mrs. Mitchell. Exactly what was your role in this prison . I supervised one of the tailor shops. When the inmates came in, we taught them how to sew. And we made the clothing for the inmates. Reporter as part of her training as a civilian worker, joyce had been warned of the dangers of getting too close to the inmates. She had been shown instructional videos like this one called con games inmates play. Hey. You want me to take this over there while im at it . No, thats confidential. You cant touch that. Ah, im just gonna be real quick, you know. Reporter were there rules set out by the prison . Things you were allowed to do and things you werent allowed to do in terms of forging a relationship with the prisoners . You were supposed to you know, be their supervisor and but, i mean, me being a mother, i tend to, you know, respect people more than probably what some people think i should. Especially when youre working in in a prison. Reporter and according to joyce, the atmosphere in the tailor shop was casual. Guards routinely allowed chitchat between civilians and inmates. Reporter nobody comes up and says, times up . You can talk, you know, five minutes, you can talk ten minutes, it really doesnt matter. Reporter so the conversations between you and some of the inmates went beyond teaching them how to make clothes. Yes. Reporter you talked to them about their lives. Yes. Reporter and their families. Yes. Reporter and the things they were interested in or not interested in . Yes. I guess i was more relaxed around them, knowing a little bit about them. She was nice. She wasnt strict, like a lot of the other civilian employees in there. Reporter erik jensen served nine months at clinton correctional in 2011 and 2012 for violating parole after he was convicted of theft. He was one of the inmates joyce supervised in that tailor shop. She would actually come over and help you with whatever you needed help with. And she enjoyed being there. Reporter jensen wasnt the only inmate in the tailor shop to notice joyces good nature. Two others prison buddies both convicted of murder saw it too. But they saw it as a weakness to exploit. One was david sweat. Daves crime was probably at the top of the hierarchy inside the prison system for most respectable crimes. He killed a Law Enforcement officer. Its a sick and twisted mentality in there. Reporter the other was richard matt. The word on rick was that he, you know, he liked to boil hot water with baby oil in it and throw it on peoples faces. Thats what the word about rick was in clinton. Reporter sweat and matt were lifers with time on their hands. And it was in that tailor shop that they would hatch the prisonbreak plot that would terrify upstate new york, and transfix the nation. They would begin by working on joyce, trying to turn her, by turning on the charm. I do think that she enjoyed the male attention. I think that she enjoyed comin to work and having, you know, people compliment her. Reporter and soon Joyce Mitchell would find herself falling deeper and deeper into a plot from which she could find no escape. Coming up. The prison had steel bars, barbed wire and guards with guns. How did anyone break out of there . They evil cunning conniving. Had her. I didnt mean for any of this to happen. Why did they do it . Why did she . queens youre my best friend plays ooh. You make me live, whatever this world. At petsmart, we know that pet adoption changes lives. 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Reporter throughout her years in the prison tailor shop, Joyce Mitchell got to know a lot of the inmates. But the two she ended up getting closest to were among the most notorious in the prison. They were both killers, and they would make joyce their inside woman for a plan to escape. The first was david sweat. A wiry, thoughtful prisoner in his early 30s. Reporter what was your First Impression of him . He was very quiet, very respectful. Never give you a problem. When it came to doing what needed to be done. Reporter but that impression hardly fit with the rest of his background. David sweat is a cold, calculating sociopath who only cares about himself. Reporter as a nineyearold growing up in new york, sweat brought a butchers knife to school to fend off bullies. He moved on to stealing cars and was put into a foster home after his mother couldnt cope with him. He also did time for burglaries. Then, one night in 2002, he and two accomplices rammed a pickup truck into a pennsylvania gun and Fireworks Store to steal weapons. Sheriffs captain kate newcomb says her fellow officer deputy kevin tarsia was on patrol in the wee hours and came upon the trio in a secluded parking lot. He sees a suspicious vehicle. He pulls into the park to check it out, and he exits his patrol car. Reporter it turned out sweat and his crew were transferring stolen weapons into a car there. Tarsia went to investigate. And as he walks around the front of the patrol car he begins to take gunfire from david sweat. Reporter sweat, clutching an Assault Rifle in one hand and a glock pistol in the other hit the officer with multiple shots. He falls down to the ground, and then david sweat gets into the car and proceeds to run kevin over and drag him with the with the car. Reporter one of sweats accomplices finished off the officer with shots to the head. It was an assassination, absolutely, purely for the uniform that he wore. Reporter just after 7 oclock on the following morning, kevin tarsias fiancee christiann ciccone heard a knock on her front door. I opened the door, and there were three Police Officers standing there. And i said kevin got hurt and hes in the hospital, but everythings gonna be okay. And they said, no. They said to me that kevin was murdered. Reporter the news was too hard to believe. She had been speaking to kevin just hours earlier. My whole life had been turned upside down. After kevin had been murdered, life had changed completely. My dreams and and everything was just torn away from me. Reporter david sweat was caught, eventually pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life without parole at clinton. His best friend there was his cell neighbor perhaps the most dangerous inmate inside Clinton Correctional Facility. His name was richard matt a hefty man in his late 40s. He also worked in the tailor shop, where joyce came to care about him too. Reporter when you started talking to richard matt, did you guys have anything in common . Not really. No. Reporter so your conversations consisted of what can i learn about your family . Yeah, pretty much. He was a very outgoing person. Reporter unlike the reserved, cautious david sweat, joyce says without her even asking, richard matt bragged about the crimes hed committed. They were even more savage than sweats. The richard matt that i knew manipulator, evil, cunning, conniving, psychotic he beat loved ones. And he had no emotion towards anybody. Reporter like sweat, matt had been a troubled youth and grew up in foster homes near buffalo, new york. He had a history of violence graduating from juvenile facilities to prison and at just 19, he made his first prison break. Lee bates was just 20 in 1997 when he got to know matt near buffalo occasionally driving him to local nightclubs. Bates says one day matt known locally as rick asked for a ride to see his former boss, 76yearold food wholesaler william rickerson. Matt said rickerson owed him money. Mr. Rickerson came and let us into the house. Rick had directed his voice at mr. Rickerson. Im here to get my money. Wheres wheres your money . And punched mr. Rickerson in the face. Reporter matt and bates tied rickerson up with duct tape and bundled him into the trunk of batess car. For nearly 30 hours, they drove around, matt occasionally stopping to beat his boss some more even breaking his fingers. Mr. Rickerson had told Mister Richard matt, ill take you to the money. Let me outta here. Ill take you to the money. Reporter bates says he protested when matt poked a knife sharpener like this one into rickersons ear. And it was at that point that richard matt had wanted to kill me. And he told richard matt, leave the kid out of this. Its between you and me. Richard matt in a more more than a fit of rage, walked to mr. Rickerson with the trunk open in my car and snapped his neck. I couldnt stop him. Reporter but that wasnt the end of it. Matt used a hacksaw to cut up rickersons body and then dumped the parts in the niagara river. We found two severed legs with no feet. Two different sections of a torso. Reporter detective Glenn Gardner of North Tonawanda pd got the case. Lee bates was soon arrested. Lee bates was the star witness that helped us eventually put the case together. And also make an arrest warrant out for richard matt. But while bates served more than sixteen years for his role in the murder, richard matt fled to mexico before he could be arrested. Hes only there a short time and he walks up behind a man in a bar. The mans in the mens room. And he stabs him in the back to get his money. They give him 20 years. Reporter he served ten years before being extradited to new york to stand trial for the rickerson murder. Matt was considered so dangerous and such a flight risk that during his trial a sniper was positioned near the courthouse. He was convicted of Second Degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. At clinton, even inmates like erik jensen were wary of matt. Rick was known in there as somebody that you would you would wanna watch your back. You know, you dont wanna do him dirty and then think that hes not gonna do anything about it. Reporter the one man matt seemed to trust was the copkiller david sweat. He and sweat were getting close to joyce. But while joyce believed it was a friendship. To the inmates it was an opportunity to crack open the door and try to escape. Coming up, rumors of romance and more behind prison bars. We all thought they were having sex back there. When dateline continues. Isnt it beautiful when things just come together . Build a beautiful website with squarespace. Toasters broken. Hats going on . Which means no eggo waffles. Something smells delicious. Eggo leggo my eggo breakfast sandwich. Its sweet, its savory, its in your microwave. Leggo my eggo breakfast sandwich. On a street just around the corner. Im home. Hi dad the force was strong between father and son. You got it . What are you doing buddy . Its my ewok happy dance of course it is. Today. Hello, hello. Hey, daddy. It is passed on to a new generation. You got it . Ewok dance . Yeah. And the circle is now complete. Walmart has always been the best place in the galaxy to get everyday low prices on star wars. Reporter Joyce Mitchell had taken a few knocks in life. Born into a modest family in upstate, new york, she dropped out of high school, worked at a local slipper factory, married her High School Sweetheart and soon divorced after her son, toby was born. By then she had caught the eye of a local man, lyle mitchell, who described the moment he saw joyce take pity on a lonely child who wanted money for a toy. Shes very, very, kindhearted. And she took the money out of her pocket and gave it to the kid. The lady has a heart of gold. Reporter joyce and lyle married in 2001, and they both ended up as civilian workers at smalltown dannemoras biggest employer, Clinton Correctional Facility. We work together, we we never leave the house unless were together with one another. Reporter joyce was with lyle nearly all the time, so life settled into a predictable pattern, hum drum perhaps. And perhaps joyce became restless. Joyce supervised some 30 men crammed into her tailor shop, which was not unlike any small industrial workshop. But as she showed them how to make prison clothes, says former inmate erik jensen, joyce would ignore personal boundaries. She was handson. She would get right in your personal space. She wouldnt even tell you, like, excuse me or anything like that. She would just like, brush right past you. And that was one of the key things that i did pick up on her. She was overly friendly. Reporter joyce was particularly friendly with the copkiller david sweat. Good worker . Very good worker. Reporter sweat had been promoted to, instructor, teaching inmates how to sew. Which landed him the top prison wage, 40 cents an hour. The position also put him in a close professional relationship with joyce. Then she allowed their relationship to become personal. She says that was natural. When youre workin with your instructor, its like your righthand man, so i mean, we were talking every day about work. There was a friendship that had developed . There was a friendship. Was there flirtation as part of that friendship . There was. Reporter jensen says the other inmates noticed that joyce and sweat spent a lot of time together, alone, in a room where the fabric was stored. They would, you know, they would course, they would be talkin all day back and forth, you know. Theyd laugh. Theyd joke. We we thought it was more than them just workin together. They acted like they were friends from before dave got incarcerated. Like, they knew each other for a long time. They were very familiar with each other. Reporter so familiar, that rumors started flying. And we, we all thought that they were, you know, havin sex back there. Reporter but it wasnt until september 2014, years after joyce and sweat first met, that prison authorities got wind of the gossip. They were concerned that there was some, statements that inmate sweat and i either had in the past or were having at that time a relationship. Which we were not. Because they were saying a sexual relationship. We were not. So there was no sexual contact between you and no. David sweat. There was never any sexual contact between us, whatsoever. But at the time, there was suspicion that people brought to the attention of prison officials that there might be a sexual relationship between you and inmate sweat. Were you warned . Did someone come to you and say, joyce, look, youve maybe crossed a line. You gotta get back on the other side of the line . Actually, nobody ever really said too much. Were you worried that you were gonna lose your job at that point . No. Because there wasnt anything between us. I was very shocked to learn that she allegedly had sexual relations with an inmate. Reporter Jeffrey Dumas, a former clinton sergeant with 22 years of service, knows the prison inside and out; and knew inmate sweat, and Joyce Mitchell, well. I knew, okay, this is not true at that level. There is no way in that facility with the officer in the shop and the way its constructed that they could have done Something Like that. Reporter still, joyce says she knew salacious innuendo was in the air and she had to try to nip it in the bud. I was the one that when they made the assumption, i went to the superiors, i guess, if thats what you wanna call them. And i made the complaint that they were saying stuff that was untrue. You thought your reputation was being sullied. Yes. And they they came, they investigated it, and they found nothing. Reporter yet that episode didnt seem to deter joyce from becoming close with another murderer sweats buddy, richard matt. How long did it take, mrs. Mitchell, for you to consider him to be a friend, as opposed to just another inmate . It took a little while, but he was in different shops with me, too. You know, he always had said, you know, you dont ever have to worry. If something happens, no one will ever hurt you. You know, well make sure that youre youre safe. What do you think he meant by that . Explain that for me, within the context of life in a prison. Youve heard stories where inmates will take civillians civilians hostage or whatever. He always would say i never had anything to worry about. He would make sure that i was safe. Do you take that to mean that he personally would, or that he also had connections within the prison where he could protect you in other areas as well . I took it, at first, personally. That he would protect you . Yeah, he would protect me personally. Did an alarm go off in your body at that moment . Was there some internal alert that said, joyce, this is a slippery slope . Yes. There was. And did anybody ever stop you as you were having some of these conversations with the inmates and say, you know, joyce, back off a little bit. Get back behind the desk. Treat them like inmates. Stop being such a nice person. Stop being friends with them. They never actually told me to stop, but they did say, you know, youre youre too friendly. You know, youre youre too nice. And when they would say that to you, would you stop . Would you change . I would a little bit and then the inmates were wondering, you know, what happened. And at the time that everything happened, i was going through a time where i i didnt feel like my husband loved me anymore. And i guess it was just me. I was going through depression. And i guess they saw my weakness. And thats how it all started. So you were looking for something. You were looking for attention. Yes. Their attention made you feel good. Yes, their attention made me feel good. Reporter and it didnt seem to matter that her husband lyle worked close by, also as a supervisor in one of the prisons other tailor shops. So, you would see him during the day . Yes. And he knew david sweat and richard matt as well . Yes. In some odd way, you were getting from these prisoners, in terms of a relationship, what you didnt feel you were getting from your husband at home . Yes. Reporter and that spelled trouble. David sweat and richard matt now had their hooks into joyce, and were gently reeling her in. They had a dream of escaping the prison, and they were working on a plan to make it happen. All they needed was an accomplice on the inside, and joyce was it. It was time to put her to work. Coming up. Joyce starts smuggling in treats. I would bring cookies, brownies. And digging herself in ever deeper. Did you ever tell your husband that you were doing any of this . He didnt know a lot of what i was doing. No. Thats a win. But imagine earning it twice. You can with the citi double cash® card. It lets you earn cash back twice. Once when you buy and again as you pay. Its cash back then cash back again. And thats a cash back winwin. The citi double cash card. The only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1 when you buy and 1 as you pay. With two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem onesided. I have a professional secret. Amope and its premium foot care line. The amope pedi perfect foot file, gives you soft beautiful feet, effortlessly. 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Part of the reason is that they lived close to each other in the prisons cosiest neighborhood the honor block. The liberties that they were given was definitely a detriment to the security. Reporter many prisons have honor blocks. At clinton, inmates like sweat and matt had more rec time. There were fewer guard checks and a lot of noise says Jeffrey Dumas. Theres tvs going, movies, sports. Cards, dominoes. You know, theyre either arguing or they laughin. Matt and sweat could have laid in their cell, sawed away at their wall, and nobody would have ever heard a thing. And thats what sweat and matt began planning to do. To break through their cell walls to freedom. But first, theyd need some tools, and that meant getting illicit items into clinton. That was no big deal, says erik jensen. Every day this happens. Every day. Whether it be a television, a radio, a walkman a bag of food clothing everything is movin back and forth in there. Its like a small city. Reporter all they needed was someone who moved outside the prison to bring things inside. And thats where their friend Joyce Mitchell would come in. The trigger to involve joyce directly in their plot began, oddly enough, when sweat was abruptly removed from the tailor shop in september 2014. He was actually taken out of the shop because he had made a comment to my supervisor about another civilian. And my supervisor wrote him up for that. Reporter that meant sweat was reassigned, and he lost the prison wage that bought him favours and relative comfort on the inside. When mr. Sweat was removed from the shop and i guess i felt bad, because even though hes an inmate just like you or i, you know, if we lost our jobs, wed want someone to help us. Reporter as joyce took pity on sweat, Jeffrey Dumas says that was the Perfect Moment for richard matt to step in. Then inmate matt sees his opportunity to be the go between her and sweat, because matt and sweat lived in the same block. So whatever type of friendship that she had with sweat, matt took the opportunity to prey on her. Reporter matt decided to test her by tugging on her heartstrings. Mr. Matt would ask me to bring stuff in for mr. Sweat so that he would have food or something. Reporter astonishingly, joyce responded and agreed. She says she found herself at home baking tasty treats and brought them to the prison for sweat. Reporter does that break prison rules . It actually does. Reporter what did you bring him . Cookies, brownies. You know, stuff like that. Reporter pretending that you were bringin them in for yourself . Yes. Reporter did you ever tell your husband that you were doing any of this . He didnt know a lot of what i was doing. No. Reporter why . Youre smiling about that. Why . No, im not really smiling. Im just i didnt want him to be in trouble. And if i got caught, okay, then im the one in trouble. But i didnt want my husband to be in trouble also. Reporter but he never saw you leaving in the morning with a buncha brownies or cookies and said, why you taking those to work . No, because i would make his lunch just like i would make my own. Reporter and she simply took the cookies and brownies with her lunch to the tailor shop. How often did you do that, joyce . I did it a lot. Reporter were you ever nervous . Were you afraid youd get caught doin it . I actually was, because theyre supposed to check our bags every morning when we come in. And theyre supposed to check em when you go out. But they never did. Reporter and then how would you get them to mr. Sweat . Mr. Matt would take them. Reporter she says along with the cookies she passed racy notes and photos to sweat using matt as a gobetween. So matt upped the ante. He next asked for a pair of sparring gloves. Joyce delivered again; and also slipped him some treats of his own. I did get him some salts, like, season salts and stuff like that, and he would trade it with the other inmates for different foods to give to mr. Sweat. Reporter kinda prison currency . Yeah. Reporter and because she could apparently get through prison security unchecked the prison door became a revolving door. In addition to the affection she received joyce traded the baked treats for, of all things, artwork. Its widely known that richard matt was a talented artist. Yes. Reporter which sounds strange for a guy with his criminal record. Yes. Reporter matt painted portraits of celebrities marilyn monroe, julia roberts, bill and hillary clinton, president obama and others. When you were doing favors for him, was he repaying you with artwork . I did get two paintings from him. One was of my son and one was of our dogs. Reporter but to get Richard Matts artwork out of prison, joyce needed help. She says she relied on a 27year veteran of the Prison Service officer gene palmer a socalled snitch officer who had extensive dealings with matt and sweat. Inmate matt and inmate sweat were both snitches, and they would tell officer palmer whos doing what. You tell him who the gang leaders are, who the gang members are, who has you know, the weapons. Reporter and in exchange for that information, palmer did favors like getting matts artwork out of the prison. So, when those two paintings ended up in your home, did lyle see them, and did he say, how did these end up in your possession . What kind of relationship do you have with richard matt . He didnt really question it. He didnt know that they were even coming in until after the fact. Reporter he didnt send up a red flag and say, wait a minute, if youre getting paintings from him, this could be trouble for you and for us . He did afterwards tell me, you know, you shouldnt be getting them. But im a redhead, and i tend to be stubborn at some things. Reporter these things that go on inside the walls of a prison, a maximum security prison, shock a lotta people. And i think a lotta people ask the question, didnt somebody in an official capacity have to know this stuff was going on . Do you think people within the prison turned a blind eye to things like this . I cant speculate on what they were doing, what they were thinking. Anythings possible, i guess. Reporter anything was possible, it seemed. If joyce could get cookies and sparring gloves into the prison and paintings out no questions asked what couldnt she bring in . In early 2015, richard matt decided to find out. He asked joyce to bring him something much more serious than cookies and brownies. And so at this point, you have to realize youre getting yourself in a really bad situation. Yes. Coming up. Hamburger helper. Nobody checked your bag . Nobody. In it you had hacksaw blades. Yes. And more rumors about sex. But was it what it seemed . There was one point where he had im sorry. When dateline continues. Sht more than a flu shot . When it helps give a lifesaving vaccine to a child in need in a developing country. Thanks to customers like you, walgreens get a shot. Give a shot. Program has helped provide seven million vaccines. Make your flu shot make a world of difference. Walgreens. At the corner of happy and healthy. Only abreva can heal it in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. It penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. Dont tough it out, knock it out, fast. Abreva. Many wbut hope. Ms come with high hopes, doesnt work on wrinkles. Neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair has the fastest retinol formula. To work on fine lines and even deep wrinkles in just one week. Neutrogena®. Geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. Reporter Joyce Mitchell was getting in deep. For months she had been doing illicit favors for her friend, copkiller david sweat with rampant, joyce, that there was something more here. That while mr. Matt told you he loved you, that by this point, you loved him as well. No. It started out as a flirtation thing. But thats all it ever was. There was never any love between myself and mr. Matt. Reporter at some point there was sexual contact between you and richard matt. And when i interviewed your husband lyle, he said you swore to him that there was not. And that wasnt true, was it . There was never any actual sexual intercourse. Mr. Matt had grabbed me a couple times and kissed me. And then there was one point where he had im sorry. He wanted me to he wanted me to perform oral sex on him. And i said no. And when i said no, he grabbed my head and pushed me down. Reporter she says what happened next was very brief and as soon as she could, she jumped up and ran away. Reporter when you told your husband there was no sexual contact, you were talking about intercourse and you were talking yes. Reporter about consensual sexual contact. Yes. Reporter so just to be clear, at no point in this relationship with richard matt was there any, in your opinion, consensual sexual contact between the two of you . There was never any consensual. Reporter when we hear of things that were going on in this tailor shop and even the forced sexual contact between you and mr. Matt. My question is did anybody see this . This is a prison. Arent there cameras . Doesnt anybody know this type of thing is going on . No. They dont. Reporter joyce says matt began forcing himself on her in other ways, too. While shed been taking baked goods to sweat in prison and sparring gloves matt. In early 2015, the wish list suddenly changed. They wanted a starshaped bit. Reporter drill bit . Yeah. Mr. Matt asked me for it. But it was for mr. Sweat. Reporter okay, but when richard matt comes to you and says, joyce, i need a starshaped drill bit, thats a lot different than cookies and brownies. Yeah. Reporter and what did you think . At first, im like, i cant get you that. But then hes like, i need it. Sweat needs it. Reporter for what . At first, they didnt tell me. Reporter what it sounds like here is that once you made the mistake of crossing a line mr. Matt used your transgressions as a way to get you in deeper and deeper and deeper. Yes. Reporter and when joyce didnt consent, she says, the demands were backed up by threats. Reporter was he threatening you . Was he saying, get me the next thing. And if you dont get me the next thing, ill tell people that you got me the first few things and youll lose your job . No. No, it was always just he was gonna hurt lyle. It was never he was gonna tell anybody anything. Reporter she says she feared matt knew enough about her and her family to make good on his threat to hurt her husband. I was just so scared. Matt mr. Matt has a lotta power. A lot of power. He could get whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Reporter you even felt outside of prison . That he could have caused harm to lyle and your family outside the walls of that prison . Yes. Reporter in the face of the threats to her husband, joyce says, fear took over. So she continued to bring matt what he wanted, even when he asked for hacksaw blades. But smuggling those into a maximum security prison was a far different proposition than sneaking in baked goods. So after she bought the blades at walmart, joyce improvised and hid them in hamburger meat. She put the meat in her bag and, as usual, clocked in at the prison. Reporter so you walked right in the prison, nobody checked your bag. Nobody checked. Reporter in it, you had hacksaw blades. Yes. Reporter once in the prison, she put the meat in a freezer. Thats when the officer come and took it. Reporter and that officer was . Mr. Palmer. Reporter gene palmer. Yes. Reporter the same gene palmer who joyce said helped her smuggle two paintings out of the prison. Reporter so obviously, some arrangement had been made between richard matt and gene palmer. And some arrangement, obviously, was made between you and mr. Matt. Youre getting the hacksaw blade, youre putting it in the frozen beef. Yes. Reporter youre transferring the frozen beef to mr. Palmer, and mr. Palmer is getting it to mr. Matt. Yes. Reporter youre in deep trouble, at this point. Yes, i am. I am in deep, deep reporter and so is mr. Palmer. Well, i dont know if mr. Palmer actually knew if they were in there or not. All i know is mr. Matt came in and said, palmers gonna come and get the hamburger. But whether mr. Palmer actually knew, i have no idea. Reporter joyce, who says she was being threatened by richard matt, and lived under a cloud of intense fear didnt breathe a word of what was happening to anyone. Reporter ive never been in prison, but i will tell you, if i were you, i think i would have said, im gonna go home. Im gonna get my husband. Im gonna get him in a car, and were gonna go to the police. And im gonna tell the police with my husband next to me, so i know nobody can harm him, exactly whats going on here. I shoulda done that. But i was too scared. Because mr. Matt even asked where my mother lived, where my son lived. He could have beat me, he coulda done whatever he wanted to me, but i wasnt gonna let him hurt my husband or my family. Reporter whatever the truth, joyce continued to help the two killers. If she wasnt already in enough hot water, she was about to go all in. Sweat and matt were going to tell her exactly what they were doing making her the third conspirator in a rapidly evolving plan. Coming up. Joyce is now the key to helping two killers escape. Leading her, she says, no escape. You know why theyre using these things. Yes. What theyre using them for. Yes. 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Maybe its maybelline we dont have to worry about predators like our ancestors did. [car engine starting] no saber tooth tigers stalking from the brush. No dire wolfs circling the camp. There are no more monsters to fear. [car tires screeching] and so we have to build our own. Were back with more of our exclusive interview of Joyce Mitchell. The woman who helped two convicted killers escaped in one of the boldest prison breaks of all time. Why . Why would a law abiding wife and mother do Something Like that . Especially after she says she learned what they had in mind for her husband. Reporter in the spring of 2015, convicted killers david sweat and richard matt were ready to set their escape plan in motion. And thanks to Joyce Mitchell, they now had the tools to make it happen tools she continued to sneak into prison for them. I gave em the star bit. I give em four fullsize hacks blades, but having to put em in the hamburger, they had been broken in two. So they actually had, like, eight pieces of hacksaw blades. And i give em chisel and punch. Thats all that i give them. Reporter thats a lot. It is. Reporter so, by this time, youve delivered him a starshaped drill bit, hacksaw blades, and you know why theyre using these things. Yes. Reporter what theyre using them for. Yes. Reporter and you didnt go to anyone. Even though hes threatening you, according to you. Who could i tell . Who could i trust . Reporter joyce says she feared that if she reported what was going on, richard matt would find out. She says she couldnt even confide in gene palmer, the officer who had taken Richard Matts artwork out of the prison for her. Do you believe that gene palmer also knew that these two inmates were planning to escape . I have no idea. Reporter so at no point of transferring goods between the two of you, the frozen meat, did you ever look at each other and acknowledge what was going on . And you never said to him, you know about this as well . No, i never did. Reporter like it or not, joyce had become a coconspirator in a plot to help two vicious murderers escape from prison. And matt now spilled details of that plot to her. So youd go in during the day, and youd see at least mr. Matt in the tailor shop yes. Reporter and he would say to you, hey. Weve breached the wall of our cell. We got outta the wall. He would let you know this . Yes. Reporter working late at night, matt and sweat used the hacksaw blades to saw through the quarterinch thick steel walls of their cells. Once through their walls, they discovered this maze of catwalks. Now, each night, they went exploring here, looking for a path to the ground floor and a way outside the prison walls. Wasnt it also astonishing to you that they were actually getting out of their cells at night . Yes. They were waiting till after i think its the 11 00 bed check, and then they would go. Reporter you know, im im tryin to put myself in the position of someone watching this at home, and theyre all saying you know what theyre saying. Shes hearing these stories every day. She has given them some of the tools theyre using and she is the monster. Reporter and she did nothing to stop it. In some ways, it almost sounds like you were fascinated by the danger of all this. It also sounds like there was more to this relationship. No, it was just an infatuation. Thats all it was. Reporter matt and sweat were well aware of joyces infatuation, and they made sure to keep her close. One day, they told her that they made an important discovery. They had found a toolbox. And mr. Sweat picked the lock and they found power tools in it. Reporter they found that toolbox in the crawlspace area somewhere reporter behind the walls of their cell . And what was your reaction when you were hearing these stories . I was tryin to figure out how a toolbox got left. They were really excited that they found power tools. Reporter the escape plan was coming together. So richard matt finally told joyce what he expected her to do. On the night of the escape, at 12 midnight when smalltown dannemora was sleeping, joyce was to get in to her jeep and drive to an intersection about 130 yards from the prison wall. I was supposed to pretend that i was making a phone call while they were coming out. Reporter sitting in your jeep. Yes. Reporter what were you supposed to bring with you, other than the car . Clothes for them. I was supposed to bring a tent. I was supposed to bring a shotgun. Reporter did you have a shotgun . We do own a shotgun. Reporter and then the plan lets make sure we understand this completely was to get them changed, get them in the car yes. Reporter if all went according to plan and they pulled off the great escape, they would be far away before Law Enforcement had a chance to get a fix on them. And there was Something Else. Once they were free, starting new lives, matt said that joyce and david sweat would live together. Reporter im very confused. Yes. Reporter Richard Matts the one who tells you he loves you. Right. Reporter hes the one that youve been dealing with on a regular basis, cause right. Reporter hes the one in the tailor shop. Yes. Reporter hes the one you had the sexual contact with. Yes. Reporter and yet, he is now saying that, when we get outta here, its gonna be you and david sweat together . Well, he was he was making mr. Sweat believe that. Reporter joyce says she was just pretending to go along with the plan out of fear for her husband. She says the inmates believed he was the one person who could derail their escape. They called your husband the glitch. Reporter the glitch. Meaning he was the glitch in the plan. Yes. Reporter and he had to be disposed of. Yes. Coming up. Whatever problem lyle presented it was nothing two experienced killers couldnt handle. 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Reporter as the days grew longer and spring filled the air, Joyce Mitchell says david sweats and Richard Matts dream of escape with joyce herself as the getaway driver was becoming more real. I was told i was going to go live a happy life with them. Reporter the only fly in the ointment, she says they told her, was her partner of 21 years, lyle. Mr. Matt said he was going to kill my husband. Reporter they wanna kill your husband. Yes. Reporter in fact, joyce says matt had figured out how to carry out the killing once the two inmates made it out. She says he wanted to push lyle off a high rockface and needed joyces help. He wanted me to find a cliff to put my husband over. And im like, im not doin that. Reporter in the car . Push him . In the truck. Reporter joyce says she refused so matt came up with a new plan. Mr. Matt wanted me to give my husband some pills. Reporter and it could to knock him out. Reporter then, joyce says, once the prisoners got into her jeep on the night of the escape, the first stop would be her home. Reporter you would have drugged lyle, the glitch. Yes. Reporter he woulda been passed out at home. And what did they say they were going to do . Matt said that he was gonna kill lyle. Reporter see, this is confusing. Because on the one hand, youre telling me they wanted your help to get out of prison. On the other hand, youre telling me that after he got outta prison, he was threatening to kill your husband. But with one phone call, you could have prevented him from getting outta prison. I know. But i i was so scared. Matt had other inmates watching myself and my husband through all of this. They knew where i went, when i went, and who i was talking to. Reporter how many times did you want to tell lyle what was going on . There were a lot of times i wanted to just sit down and tell him what was going on, but i knew that if i did, he would you know, hed go in and confront them. And it wouldve been just like mr. Matt to do something to him right in the prison, and i couldnt i couldnt let that happen. Reporter you were literally afraid that at some point during a day in the prison, richard matt would harm your husband, lyle, or have someone else yes. Reporter harm him for him . Yes. Reporter and you thought he was capable of that . Oh, hes capable of it. Theres no thought about it. He he would have been capable. Reporter so when matt gave her the pills, she put on an act. Now i knew i was in way over my head. So i just started playing along and letting them believe that thats what was gonna happen. Reporter you keep saying, you know, i love my husband. I couldnt i do love my husband. Reporter let this happen to my husband. And its hard to believe. I know its hard to believe. But i do love my husband. And ive always loved my husband. I just i was going through a point in my life a lotta people go through depression. A lotta people go through that. And i just got in over my head. And i couldnt get out. And i couldnt tell anybody. I couldnt tell my husband. Couldnt tell my family. I couldnt tell my coworkers. I couldnt tell anybody. Theres nobody you can tell. Reporter he had complete control of you, in your opinion yes. Reporter at that point. Yes. Reporter while joyce continued to do what she was told, matt and sweat were still trying to find a way through the thick prison walls. In early may they got a stroke of good luck. The prison heating system was shut off for summer, so they sawed an entrance into a steam pipe and climbed in. They later crawled until they were beyond the prison walls and sawed another hole, exiting into a tunnel under the street. Now the only thing standing between them and freedom was a manhole cover 130 yards from the prison wall. All that was left was to pick a night for the actual escape. Reporter lemme play devils advocate at this moment. When you now hear they are going to escape, as a matter of fact. Yes. Reporter they wanna kill your husband. Yes. Reporter at that point, the worst that can happen to you is youre gonna lose your job if you go to the authorities, and probably get charged with contraband charges. Thats the time to go to authorities again, isnt it . Heres another time like i said, i was reporter where you could have stopped this. I was just so scared. Reporter whatever joyce might have done to stop the escape sweat and matt had reached the point of no return. On june 5th, joyce was in the tailor shop when richard matt approached. He just happened to come in one day and said, tonights the night. Reporter and whats the last thing you said to him . I just i kinda stayed away from him the rest of the day. Reporter you didnt say, ill see you tonight . No, cause at the end of the day as he was going out the door, he raised his hand as a motion of, you know, like, ill see ya tonight. And i just ignored him. Reporter after her shift, trying to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary, joyce left the prison with her husband lyle and went for dinner. I didnt see anything different, absolutely nothing. Reporter nothing. Absolutely nothing, i didnt. Reporter she wasnt particularly nervous, fidgety, agitated, upset . We stopped for supper that night on the way home, for chinese food. And she ate like she normally does. Reporter so as lyle and joyce dined that evening, joyce gave no sign she was the lynchpin of an extraordinary plot and that the man she was with, who helped raise her son, was the target of a planned hit to be carried out later that night. As the clock ticked toward midnight, joyce was fully aware that david sweat and richard matt were leaving their cells, sneaking to that manhole cover and heading for freedom. The prison break was on. Coming up. No one could remember the last time a prisoner had escaped from clinton. I was advised two inmates were unaccounted for. I didnt believe it. I thought at first he was joking. The huh scaped killers werent the only one missing. I knew that was the night it was going to happen. I didnt know what to do. The on i knew that was the night it was going to happen. I didnt know what to do. Our bodies react by overproducing six key inflammatory substances that cause our symptoms. Most allergy pills only control one substance, flonase controls six. And six is greater than one. So go ahead, inhale life, excite your senses, seize the day and the night. Flonase. Six is greater than one. This changes everything. Its got the spring and bounce of a traditional mattress. You sink into it, but you can still move around. Now that i have a tempurflex, i can finally get a good nights sleep. vo change your sleep. Change your life. Change to tempurpedic. My favorite. Bad news. The johnsonville factory burned down brian. Its terrible. Well if you cant serve tasty sausage why are we even a family . I may as well move out. Well, if thats what yo. Youre right. Ill stay. And tomorrow were going to help johnsonville rebuild that factory. Ill take dinner in my room, with chocolate milk. Make pasta tastier with johnsonville italian sausage. We dont make sausage. We make family. And sausage. Listerine® total care strengthens teeth,age. We makeafter brushing,usage. Helps prevent cavities and restores tooth enamel. Its an easy way to give listerine® total care to the total family. Listerine® total care. One bottle, six benefits. Power to your mouth™. And on the morning of june 6th, they had pulled it off. Authorities are now searching in the u. S. , canada and mexico. Reporter as the first reports came in about a dramatic escape from Clinton Correctional Facility that saturday, Clinton County sheriff david favro headed toward the prison. Id received a phone call from my patrol chief that morning, and i was advised that two inmates were unaccounted for at dannemora correctional facility. I didnt believe it. I thought at first he was joking. Reporter no one had escaped from the prison in living memory. The sheriff knew it was a crisis. I started to gear up, get my vest and my weapons and get into my truck and start heading up towards the dannemora area to see if i could be of some assistance. Within a matter of 30 minutes after that, i got another call back saying that they were out in the public. Thats when i knew it was a lot more serious. Do you instantly hear what these two guys were in prison for in the first place . I knew that one of em was a cop killer. You knew that there was a serious danger to the public. Reporter as sheriff favro was getting more details and Law Enforcement agencies mobilized, nbc news correspondent Stephanie Gosk arrived to cover the story. And your first thought is, how did anyone break out of there . Reporter when Law Enforcement poured into the search area it became hard simply to move around. This wasnt just a couple of cops walkin down the street, knocking on doors, this was hundreds of Law Enforcement on the streets, holding positions with automatic weapons, helicopters overhead. Everything was extremely difficult. There were roadblocks every half a mile. You would be stopped. Youd have to open up your trunk. Reporter just a short distance away from the prison, the escapees would be getaway driver Joyce Mitchell was just waking up. But she was nowhere near david sweat and richard matt. Instead, she was in a hospital room, coming to under a cloud of doom. What happened . I knew that was the night it was gonna happen. And i didnt really know what to do. Reporter joyce says at the moment of truth, she had been overcome by confusion and fear. And instead of driving to the rendezvous location at midnight with a shotgun and supplies, she told her husband lyle she had chest pains and needed help. So when sweat and matt slid back the manhole cover and poked their heads up into the street, joyce was nowhere to be seen. I was so scared. And i ended up having a panic attack, and my husband did take me to the hospital. Reporter now it was morning, and as she lay in her hospital bed glued to the television news, joyce realized sweats and matts brazen escape plan had been a success after all. When you heard that they had escaped and broken out and you knew you werent there to pick them up the way you had promised, what was your first reaction . I was scared to death. I didnt know if they would come looking for my husband and do something to him. So i didnt let my husband outta my sight. Did you start to think, mrs. Mitchell, that, i have just helped two guys get outta prison . Yes one guy murdered a man and cut his body into pieces. The other guy shot a sheriffs deputy. What is the chance or what is the likelihood theyre gonna kill some innocent person now that theyve escaped from prison . I was scared. Very scared that it would happen. And i prayed and prayed and prayed that they would get caught and no one would get hurt. Didnt you also pray and pray and pray that they would get killed so that they couldnt tell the story of what had happened . No. You didnt think that if they got caught, they were gonna tell everything you did . I knew they would. And i knew that they would blame me for everything. So this idea, though, that if you had shown up with that jeep and been their getaway driver, that the three of you were gonna go off and live some different kinda life, kind of you know, some kind of a bonnie and clyde threesome, thats something you never actually considered no. Doing . No. You werent in love with one of them or both of them and you were gonna go off and forge a different life no. For yourself . No, i wasnt. You know, its funny because if you dont show up, youre caught, anyway. Yes. Any doubt in your mind, joyce, that if you had shown up in that jeep that night, is there any doubt in your mind that they would have killed you as soon as you handed them that shotgun . They would have. Because they woulda had the vehicle. They wouldnta needed me. That woulda been the moment their relationship with you ended . Yes. Reporter as she processed all these dark thoughts in the hospital, she switched on her cell phone and it exploded into life. I had tons of messages. And one was from my son, that state police were looking for me. Reporter the police had discovered joyce and her husband lyle both knew sweat and matt well. So the couple left the hospital and went to the Police Station to be questioned. And joyce had a decision to make was it finally time to tell the truth . Coming up. Investigators are eager to hear joyces story. They told me you help us, well help you. And they have some tough questions for her. She was making excuses trying to make people feel sorry for her. It didnt worth with this prosecut prosecutor. When dateline continues. Wrth prosecutor. When dateline continues. Orth prosecutor. When dateline continues. Rth prosecutor. When dateline continues. Krth prosecutor. When dateline continues. Th w prosecutor. When dateline continues. H wi prosecutor. When dateline continues. Wit prosecutor. When dateline continues. Work prosecutor. When dateline continues. Ork prosecutor. When dateline continues. But hed rather not earn cash back that way. Thats the spectacle of rewarding connections. Apply online or at a bank of america near you. At kohls friends and family sale. Thursday through sunday get an extra 20 off. Go to kohls. Com to download your savings pass. Plus, everyone gets 10 kohls cash for every 50 spent. Kohls. How muwe saved today . Think a lot. Come in today for great deals like 10 off vinyl siding and asphalt shingles when installed through lowes. Reporter as Law Enforcement hunted down the escapees david sweat and richard matt, Joyce Mitchell was called in with her husband lyle to the Police Station to face investigators. They wanted to know why she hadnt shown up for work that saturday, and they had other questions too. Joyce mitchell was identified relatively early as somebody that had contact with both matt and sweat. Reporter authorities were certain matt and sweat had help carrying out their elaborate plan, and joyce was their number one suspect. She knew both inmates, and there were those unfounded rumors of a sexual relationship between her and sweat. But when joyce was questioned by Law Enforcement, says Clinton County District Attorney andrew wylie, it did not seem she was being completely honest. She was providing truthful information, but she wasnt providing everything. Reporter joyce admits that now. I was not completely honest with the state police at first. What did you lie about . About knowing that they had gotten out and the other parts of the story. Reporter but investigators made a startling discovery. The phone number for Richard Matts daughter was in joyces cellphone. When they pressed her about it, joyce was forced to tell them she had been in touch with matts daughter as a favor. It was a red flag for police, and news to lyle. So let me make sure i understand this. So your wife had matts daughters cell phone number on her cell phone. Yes. So it was clear that she had contacted the daughter of this escaped murderer. Yes. Reporter joyce was released after a few hours. But she had further aroused investigators suspicions. The truth doesnt always come out right away. It may take an hour, it make take ten hours. It may take over a course of a couple days or a week to actually get the truth out. Reporter meanwhile, new information about the prison break was pouring in. It was an elaborate plot. Giving the da details of how the escape actually happened. Its just its amazing how it occurred. Reporter the scenario investigators were uncovering went Something Like this. On the night of the escape, matt and sweat left dummies made from papier mache and clothing to make it look like they were still in their cell beds. Then they slipped through the sawed out holes in their cells, down through the maze of catwalks, and proceeded along their planned escape route, through the steam pipe and out through the manhole just 130 yards from the prison. A final poke in the eye to authorities was this taunting, racist note stuck on the steam pipe. Its kind of like a shock and awe at the time. Shawshank redemption, just pops into your head. Your first thought is, how did they ever even think they could do it . Reporter nbc news correspondent, Stephanie Gosk, was as amazed as everyone else. The pure hubris of concocting the idea and executing it. Everyone is a little bit just sort of in awe of what they did. Reporter the day after the escape, joyce was called in for another round of questioning by police. This time they asked about the sparring gloves she had given richard matt. And she goes in there, and i would say half, three quarters of an hour, and an investigator comes out and said, mr. Mitchell, your wife is more involved than what shes lettin on. What . Reporter as the investigators questions piled up, the pressure finally started getting to joyce. I talked to the investigators, and i tried to tell them everything i could. And they told me, you help us, well help you. Reporter and thats when she finally came clean about all of it. The hacksaw blades smuggled in hamburger meat, the other tools she gave the inmates, and that she knew for weeks if not months that matt and sweat were preparing to escape, but that she never told a soul. The da was stunned. Its kinda hard to, you know, even comprehend. Reporter it didnt take long for news to get out that joyce was involved. Joyce mitchell. She works in the prison, shes being called a person of interest, being questioned by police. When the details of it started to come out and we learned a little bit more of Joyce Mitchells involvement, then you realized how calculating they were. Shes been married for decades, she has a son. Shes a grandmother. And they convinced her that this would be the best thing for her to do in that moment, to help them escape from this prison and run away with them. Thats pretty remarkable. Reporter joyces family was in a state of disbelief. Her own son tobey staunchly defending his mom. Shes not the kind of person thats going to risk her life or other peoples lives to let these guys escape from prison. What was it like for you when your wifes name, and your name as a result, were splashed all over the headlines the next day . It was just total shock. I was just in disbelief. And i said, how can you do this . She said, it just got outta hand, and then i was scared and i didnt know what to do. Reporter but joyce hadnt told him the worst of it. And she said, i got Something Else to tell you. They wanted to kill you. I said, what . According to your wife, they were going to kill you for what reason . Just get me out of the way. But she said she was never going through with that. Thats what she told me, that she really loved me and she was she was in too deep. Reporter though joyce says she told the truth, the da wasnt buying all of it. She could have advised many people on many occasions what was happening. I think she was making excuses, she was trying to make people feel sorry for her. It didnt work with this prosecutor. Reporter as days passed with no sign of matt or sweat, local officials joined forces with Law Enforcement agencies from all over the country. Our plan is to pursue these men relentlessly. Reporter new York State Police Commander Major charles guess led the hunt. The potential danger to the community could not have been higher with these two individuals. Desperate escapees who were already incarcerated for life, and convicted murderers. And so we, we believed, that they would immediately attempt to arm themselves and would literally stop at nothing to evade Law Enforcement and complete their escape plan. Reporter the state police had already been joined by fbi, Border Patrol and Corrections Officers numbering some 1,500 strong, on foot, in vehicles and in the air. They unleashed k9 units and used hightech infrared sensors in an effort that cost a Million Dollars a day. But even as local residents called in thousands of leads, none panned out. My sense is that they had no idea where these guys were. And they would say in one breath, well, they could be in new mexico or in Northern Canada or in your back yard. It they just didnt know. Reporter so the manhunt searched farther, extending into dense, rugged, forest terrain, and the officers encountered monsoon conditions. We had rain either every day or just about every day. Literally, its no exaggeration, you cant see three to five feet in front of your your face, in the daylight, let alone at night. Reporter and as the search expanded, fear took over. This is why im carrying, i have a glauc40 callber. Im pretty well off. Ive got a gun on me. Ive lived in medford for almost 20 years, so it is. Its scary. Theyre killers. No one really knew if they had gotten guns, if anyone else was helping them, how far they had gotten. I mean, there was real fear. Reporter more time went by. Search teams marched on. Everyone hoped for a break, especially joyce, now a prisoner in her own home, afraid to face her neighbors. Were you glued to the set . Were you watching this like everybody else in the rest of the country was watching it . I was. I was praying every day that they would catch them. Wasnt it surreal . It was. To know that you had helped them get out, and youre sitting home watching the coverage of this . Yes. Reporter but suddenly, for joyce, it was time to face the music. A week after she was supposed to be waiting at that manhole cover for sweat and matt, she was arrested and charged with promoting contraband, and criminal facilitation. Soon after joyce was taken off to jail, the hunt for the killers was about to heat up. Coming up. Face to face with a killer. I saw a head come up. I saw that this individual had a shotgo gun aimed at me. That was your guy . That was our guy. Nice ill get more stuff cant wait to see him that ones way better hello . Alright, sounds good. See you soon. Guys, randys coming perfect. Your favorite. Were gonna need more chairs. And more food. Low prices. Every day. On everything you need so you can turn your Gameday Party of three into a great party for more. Save money. Live better. 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My heaven we are farmers bum pa dum. Bum bum bum bum 15 grueling days of searching. Suddenly a break. Major charles guess of the new reporter inside the cabin a map was missing, and ominously, a shotgun. Police forensics officers swarmed the cabin and uncovered a trove of intel. They found articles of clothing. They found a small fabric bag with a toothbrush, shaving implements, and a few other sundry items that apparently had fallen loose in their haste to leave. That was a virtual gold mine for us, as far as our forensics investigation unit. Reporter within 24 Hours State Police scientists processed samples they had collected. And came back with confirmatory matches of dna for both david sweat and richard matt. That was really the first major break in this case. Reporter the trail was suddenly hot. Officers believed sweat and matt were together, and not far away. But now they were armed and more dangerous than ever. The fact that they picked up a 20gauge shotgun at that cabin it did up the stakes and the ante a bit for th for those in the field, and the and the community. We sort of jokingly talked about what we would do if we saw them. But kind of half jokingly. Because you did have to think, all right, well, what if we stumbled upon them . And what if they did have a gun . Reporter as the manhunt intensified in the area where the dna had been discovered, Stephanie Gosk found herself in the thick of it. And no one said anything to us. So we drove in. And we were stopped by the Border Patrol. And these guys are armed to the teeth. This is not your average local Law Enforcement operation. And this was a big deal. And they did not want us there. They knew that they were close to these guys. So there was a level of urgency and intensity. The media was both a major help, and at at times potential hindrance for the investigation. Major help because they helped and assisted us getting our message out to the public. Potential hindrance at times for the investigation, because in this era of social media and and preponderance of of information slipping out to the media in am untimely manner did did at times hinder the investigation. Reporter guess worried the inmates were using media reports on the locations of his search teams to evade capture, and once again the trail went cold. It was now 21 days since sweat and matt escaped. Then a sudden report of gunshots in the tiny town of lake titus, new york. An elite border Tactical Unit led by Christopher Voss that had flown all the way from el paso, texas, descended on the area. Voss told lester holt what happened next. One of the state troopers new York State Police came up to me and said that they heard some coughing in the wood line, from where their position. And at that point, i thought, thats the best intel we got right now, so well go ahead and and check it out. Reporter as vosss team formed a line, his point man spotted a figure lying down in the woods and called over, but got no response. So now im startin to wonder whats goin on. Reporter cautiously, voss moved forward and saw a man lying about 15 yards ahead of him. I saw a head come up. This person was in the prone position on his stomach. And as i got into a clearing i saw that an individual had a shotgun aimed right in at me. And it was at that point that i engaged that individual with my m4. Reporter you got the drop on him. You shot him. Did it cross your mind it couldve been the other way around . Absolutely. Reporter voss killed the man, but had no idea if it was sweat, matt or someone else. We knew there was some identifying marks on on these two individuals. And at some point, my my team member lifted his shirt up and we found one of those identifying marks. Reporter a tattoo . Yes, it was a tattoo. It said, mexico forever. Reporter and that was your guy . That was our guy. We knew we had richard matt and i called it on the radio. Reporter joyce was sitting in the county jail when she got the news. She was relieved but not surprised. I knew that if they got richard matt, they wouldve had to shoot him. Because i knew he would not go back. Reporter but the other dangerous inmate was still on the loose, and major guess feared david sweat was nearing the canadian border. We saturated the the area with with planes and helicopters with thermal sensors to try to locate sweat, if he was still moving in this box. Reporter two days later, new York State Police Sergeant Jay Cook was patrolling rural backwater lanes near constable, new york, about three miles from the canadian border, when he saw a lone figure near the roadside. It was david sweat. And he called out to him. And sweat then again turned back to him and said, im good, bro. And kinda raised his hands up like this framing his face a little bit as if to say, nothing to see here. Reporter but when the officer called to him again, sweat ran. Cook jumped out of his vehicle, drew his weapon, and now is in in a dead run pursuit behind sweat who probably had about no less than a 35 or 40 yard lead on him by that point. And cook actually told him, ill shoot ya if you dont stop. Cook stopped, quickly steadied himself, and squeezed off one round. That one round struck david sweat in the upper torso, and sweat stumbled. Reporter but sweat continued to run, so the officer fired again. That round also struck sweat in the upper torso, and dropped him right in the field. Reporter the officer had stopped david sweat with two incredible shots. He secured sweat and administered first aid. At last the manhunt was over. Reporter what was your reaction when you heard that david sweat had been recaptured . The day that they caught david sweat, i had been saying my prayers to god, to just let them find him and get him. Reporter joyce happened to be out of her jail cell, and near a phone, when she got the news. It had just come on the news, and i broke right down in tears, and i ran to the phone to tell to call my husband, and say that they got him. It was over. And everyone could go back to having their normal lives, or as normal as normal could be. Reporter but for joyce herself, normal life was long gone. She pleaded guilty to the charges against her. And as she waited for her sentence to be handed down she wondered if anyone, including her own family, would forgive her for what shed done. Coming up. She told you a lot of lies and there were other things she just didnt tell you at all. What if one piece of kale could protect you from diabetes . What if one situp could prevent Heart Disease . One. Wishful thinking, right . 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Relieved communities warily unloaded their weapons, unlocked their doors and families stepped out to watch their Children Play freely again. But there was intense hostility toward the local woman at the center of it all. Reporter for three weeks, this entire region i know. I reporter was turned upsidedown. I know it was. Reporter people were prisoners in their own homes. I know. Reporter they were living in fear what would you say to the people who endured that in this region . I am so sorry for everything that everyone has went through because of me. I never, never this to ever happen. Never. I would take it all back, if i could. But i cant. But im not the monster that everybody thinks i am. Im really not. Im just somebody that got caught up in something that she couldnt get out of. As a result of her direct action matt and sweat escaped from the facility. Reporter while some locals feel joyce may get off easy, the da says his hands were tied when it came to the charges. He couldnt prove that joyce had sex with either inmate or joyces claim that there was a plot to kill lyle. They had contact with lyle, they thought he was a nice guy. And they actually didnt care that much for joyce because of the way she was treating lyle. Reporter you know, david sweat, after his capture, told authorities that it was your idea to kill lyle. It was not my idea. It was matts idea. Reporter today lyle himself and their son tobey believe joyces story and are standing by her. There is no way that she would have had my father killed. She loves him too much to have been in a part in a plot to kill him. Reporter she told you a lot of lies. And there were other things she just didnt tell you at all. How do you stay by her side . cause i love my wife. But i believe that she was protecting her family. In the beginning, everybody flirts. I do it. Everybody else does. And it got out of hand. Reporter and when she gets out of prison, can you trust her . Yes. 100 . Reporter do you understand why people in the region of the country where you live in are so furious . Yes, i do. Reporter when she gets out of prison, lyle, can the two of you continue to live up in that area . Is it possible . Yes. Reporter but he has no idea when he and joyce might be together again. Shes about to be sentenced. Possibility is that she could spend seven years in prison. What are you hoping for . Im hopin shell be home less than two. Reporter but hes not optimistic. I think theyll put more onto her than what should be. I honestly do. Reporter joyce will be sentenced at the end of this month. Shes pled to the maximum charges and shes going to receive the maximum sentence. Reporter though joyce tore her own life apart, fallout from the prison break scandal runs broad and deep. New yorks Inspector General concluded there was a systemic breakdown in security at Clinton Correctional Facility and is still investigating the prison break. As for gene palmer the officer who allegedly handed the hacksaw blades hidden in hamburger meat to richard matt investigators dont believe he knew about the escape plan but he was charged with promoting contraband, tampering with evidence and official misconduct. He pleaded not guilty. And while the prison superintendent, two other executives and 9 officers were suspended, the fbi has opened up an investigation into Clinton Correctional Facility focusing on corruption and drug trafficking. The prison honor block has been shut down too. Reporter what should we all learn about what goes on behind prison walls . Theres a lot of things that go on behind prison bars that no one will ever know, and its actually very scary in there, and you have to learn to not be as i guess, like me, a caring person. And you need to make sure that you keep yourself distant, so youre not getting caught up into stuff like what i did. Reporter in spite of the corrections training given to prison workers, she claims any compassionate person is vulnerable. Im not the first person to this that this has happened to. And i can tell you right now, im not gonna be the last. cause unless youre somebody thats gonna be completely coldhearted when you go in there, its gonna happen to somebody else. Reporter so, its a cautionary tale . Yes. Reporter what have you lost in all this . A lot. Ive lost my job, respect, friends. Im going to prison. Ive lost a lot of time out of my life. Im gonna miss out on my granddaughter growing up my son is getting married in october and im gonna miss being with my husband for who knows how long. All i can get from him now is letters and phone calls. Reporter you told lyle a lotta lies. I did. Reporter and for some reason, hes decided to stand by you. cause hes a very amazing man. And im very fortunate to have him in my life. Reporter and when you get outta prison and hes there waiting for you to welcome you back, can he trust you . Yes, he can. I love him with all my heart. Reporter some would say, its a miracle you havent lost him. It is a miracle that i havent lost him. And its gonna take me the rest of my life to make this up to him. That is all for this edition of dateline. Well see you ag right now at 11 00, move it or lose it. The warning signs are up. Cars will be toed towed starting this weekend to clear the path for the popes visit in eight days. Good evening, i am jim rosen field. A new estimate is painting a clearer picture of what the Ben Franklin Park way may look like for the popes public mass. The city expects more than a Million People to attend. According to the new estimate, only about a quarter of them will make it on to the parkway. Take a look. The secret service says its been told by the city about 80,000 people in the ticketed area here from this area to 20th street will fit right here. Those tickets were distributed