Errors led to killer’s escape

Man was captured about 24 hours after prison break.

Security failures, one human and one mechanical, contributed to the March 27 escape of a convicted killer from a state prison in Nelsonville, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction reported Thursday.

John Modie, 58, escaped from the Hocking Unit of the Southeastern Correctional Complex on March 27, but was captured about 24 hours later while hiding in an abandoned gas station in Nelsonville, a short distance from the prison.

The prison agency report cited two security breakdowns: perimeter fence alarms that failed and prison staff who didn’t notice Modie’s absence for seven hours after he began his escape attempt.

A summary said Modie climbed onto the roof of a Hocking Unit building around 4 p.m. on March 27 during a recreation period. He remained there until dark, when he moved over rooftops, eventually approaching perimeter fences. Modie first tried to use a rope made of laundry bags to climb over the two exterior fences, but the rope was caught in the fence’s razor and barbed wire.

He then dropped to the ground and went under the first fence, where the escape alarm failed. Modie climbed a second fence and made his escape on foot.

The prison does an official count of all inmates nightly at 9 p.m., but “due to an error by the shift supervisor,” Modie’s absence was not discovered until 11 p.m. At that point, the search for the escapee began.

Ohio Prisons Director Gary Mohr ordered a investigation of the incident and the breakdowns that enabled the escape. As a result, two correctional lieutenants were suspended for five days each and perimeter security improvements were made at the institution, according to the report.

The agency also transferred all inmates, such as Modie, who had attempted previous escapes, from the Hocking prison to the more secure Southeastern Correctional Complex in Lancaster.

A “Back-2-Basics” review of all inmate count procedures was ordered for personnel in all state prisons.

Modie was convicted of killing Ucianna Ortiz of Cleveland on Oct. 14, 2002. He was arrested in Texas two weeks later driving a BMW stolen from another victim in Cuyahoga County. He briefly escaped from the Cuyahoga County Jail, but was captured.

He was serving a 15year to life sentence for murder, robbery and escape, prior to the March 27 incident. Additional charges are expected.