The True Story Behind Escape At Dannemora, Explained

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The miniseries titled “Escape at Dannemora” made its debut on Showtime in 2018. Featuring Patricia Arquette, Benicio del Toro, and Paul Dano, this series was nominated for twelve Emmys (winning nine) and boasts an impressive 89% rating from critics and a 91% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes. This gripping series is inspired by a true event, the escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in 2015, and focuses on the romantic entanglement between a female prison employee and two inmates.

In essence, when dealing with TV shows and films labeled as “inspired by true events,” it’s crucial to understand that the creators will inevitably incorporate some artistic license. It’s not feasible to replicate real-life occurrences flawlessly; adjustments are necessary for a stage or screen adaptation of a true crime, considering the logistical and practical obstacles that can’t be overcome in reality. Furthermore, there are narrative requirements that must be addressed beyond mere practicalities. To put it simply, real-life events don’t always unfold or resolve neatly as a screenplay requires for audience appeal.

Escape at Dannemora is based on the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape

In 2015, Richard Matt and David Sweat successfully broke out from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. They were both serving life sentences for murder convictions, and they orchestrated their escape with the assistance of prison employee Joyce Mitchell and guard Gene Palmer.

As a gamer, I’d put it like this:

Me (Palmer): “Hey, I’ve been helping out Matt and Sweat here. Gave ’em tools, favors, you name it, all for some sweet artwork from Matt. He’s got skills, that guy.”

And then there’s Joyce Mitchell: “She was the one deep into the escape plan. Furnished them with saws, chisels, and other essentials to pull off their daring breakout. She was supposed to be their getaway driver too, outside the facility, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it, caught between her nerves and loyalty towards her hubby.

How did Richard Matt and David Sweat escape?

Richard Matt and David Sweat had been living in Clinton Correctional Facility’s maximum-security wing for quite some time before they executed their escape strategy. Situated in Honor Block, a part of the prison that offered more freedom and amenities like TVs and kitchens, they utilized tools given by staff members Gene Palmer and Joyce Mitchell to chisel openings into the rear walls of their cells.

To avoid detection, they placed dummy outfits made from sweatshirts in their beds, and utilized a maintenance walkway to descend to ground level. From there, they accessed the basement of the prison by entering through an idle steam pipe, which was comfortably warm due to upstate New York’s June weather. They navigated the pipe using their tools, eventually breaking through a locked manhole cover outside the prison, allowing them to escape.

What happened to David Sweat and Richard Matt in real life?

For over twenty harrowing days, as a fugitive on the run, I evaded authorities alongside Richard Matt and David Sweat following our daring escape from Clinton Correctional Facility. A massive manhunt was initiated, with search dogs, helicopters, and an army of law enforcement officers conducting door-to-door searches within a five-mile radius of the prison.

When we were missing for ten long days, the police shifted their strategy from a systematic grid search (covering approximately 16 square miles) to focusing on tips from witnesses. Thanks to these eyewitnesses, I was finally cornered and apprehended 20 days after my escape. My downfall came when I recklessly fired a stolen shotgun at a passing car, leading to a violent confrontation with a Border Patrol officer and an ex-army ranger. Faced with their resistance, I paid the ultimate price – struck down by three gunshots to the head.

David Sweat wasn’t with Matt at the time of his death; rather, law enforcement apprehended him approximately 15 miles north from where Matt was found and about 30 miles north of the Clinton Correctional Facility. Sweat sustained two shoulder wounds and was taken into custody for medical attention. Notably, he was just over a mile away from the US-Canada border when they caught him. Post recovery from his injuries, Sweat was transferred to the Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, New York, where he continues to be held in custody to this day.

What happened to Joyce Mitchell in real life?

In the search for Matt and Sweat, who had escaped from prison, Joyce Mitchell was found to potentially aid the convicts. She later confessed to being an accomplice before they were captured. Although Mitchell denies any romantic or sexual relations with either Sweat or Matt, she admitted to discussing hiring Matt to kill her husband and providing both inmates with tools for their escape. For her part in their crime, Mitchell was charged with first-degree prison contraband promotion and fourth-degree criminal facilitation. After accepting a plea bargain from the prosecutor, Mitchell was sentenced to seven years in prison, fined $6,375, and ordered to pay nearly $80,000 in restitution.

Following four years of a seven-year imprisonment at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a women-only maximum-security prison, Mitchell was granted parole in 2018. Since her supervised parole term ended in 2022, she has not made any public comments, and her current location is unclear. Despite their tumultuous past, Joyce Mitchell and her husband, Lyle Mitchell, have remained married throughout Joyce’s investigation, trial, and sentence; it is assumed that they continue to be a couple today.

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2025-02-23 00:30