Indexbit-Captured: 1 of 4 inmates who escaped Georgia jail through cut fence arrested 50 miles away

After 10 days on Indexbitthe run, one of four fugitives who escaped earlier this month from a central Georgia jail has been captured and is back behind bars, authorities said.

U.S. Marshals arrested Chavis Demaryo Stokes, 29, on Thursday and returned him to the Bibb County Detention Center in Macon, Georgia, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook. Video the agency shared on Facebook showed Stokes — who was wearing camoflauge pants — being escorted back to jail in hand and ankle cuffs.

Stokes was one of four inmates who on Oct. 16 escaped from the jail located 85 miles southeast of Atlanta by jumping from a second-story window and fleeing through a cut fence.

The other inmates — 52-year-old Joey Fournier, 24-year-old Marc Kerry Anderson and 37-year-old Johnifer Dernard Barnwell — remained at large as of Friday, the sheriff's office said.

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What charges does Chavis Demaryo Stokes face?

Stokes had originally been arrested on charges of possession of a firearm and drug trafficking before his escape. A warrant with a felony charge of escape has also been filed.

Marshals tracked Stokes to a home in Montezuma, about 50 miles from the jail, where they arrested him around 2 p.m. Thursday, the sheriff's office said. 

USA TODAY was seeking comment from Stokes' attorney on Friday.

How did the inmates escape the jail?

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis called the search "an all-hands-on-deck situation" for law enforcement at a news conference the day of the escape from the jail, a 43-year-old facility that houses more than 800 inmates.

At about 6 a.m. that day, jail staff found a break in the perimeter fence, Davis said. After reviewing video footage, jail staff discovered that the four men escaped from a window in a second-floor dayroom — which sometimes is not locked at night while inmates are in bed — and ran through a break in the fence.

Video also showed an individual driving a blue Dodge Challenger who appeared to tamper with the fence outside the jail earlier in the night, Davis said at the news conference. The person then brought "some items into the enclosed area of the fence" that authorities believe were used to help the inmates escape, the sheriff said.

Davis said investigators don't have any reason to believe the men had any associations with each other outside the jail.

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The four men's escape is the latest in a string of jailbreaks and manhunts across the United States this year.

In late August, the escape of convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante from a Pennsylvania correctional facility triggered a two-week manhunt and left nearby residents terrified and on edge. The search ended with Cavalcante back in custody once authorities zeroed in on his heat signature and moved in to arrest him in a forested area.

As of Friday, thousands of Maine residents were still under shelter-in-place orders while a gunman identified as Robert Card remained at large after authorities said he's the primary suspect in two deadly shootings that left 18 people dead in Lewiston.

The Georgia jail escape also comes amid troubling incidents within the Georgia prison system, specifically Fulton County Jail, where federal investigations have revealed unsanitary and unsafe conditions; deteriorating facilities; overcrowding; understaffing; and criminal activity.

What do the remaining Georgia escapees look like?

Suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, Fournier is facing the most serious charges of the four escapees. An indictment accused him of strangling Cynthia Lynn Berry with a shoelace on Feb. 20, 2022. Fournier was in custody awaiting the resolution of his case before the jail break.

The sheriff's office provided descriptions of him and the other two escapees:

• Fournier is a white man with gray hair and blue eyes who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. The FBI released a wanted poster that included a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Fournier's arrest. The agency said Fournier has ties to Georgia, Virginia and Arkansas
• Anderson is a Black man with dreadlocks who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. He was being held for aggravated assault and the FBI is offering a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to his capture.
• Barnwell, who faces drug charges, is a Black man with braids. He is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. FBI said it's offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to Barnwell's arrest. They believe he had a leadership role in the Macon Mafia Street gang and has ties to West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Ohio, according to the wanted poster.

Anyone with information on the fugitives' whereabouts can call the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-225-5324 or the U.S. Marshals' at 1-877-WANTED2. Anonymous tips can be sent to tips.fbi.gov or the U.S. Marshals' tips app.

Contributing: Thao Nguyen; Krystal Nurse

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]