From an inmate who was able to slip through handcuffs to another one who was able to walk through prison doors unnoticed. Here’s some female inmates who thought the cell was empty, but cameras caught everything. Starting with a woman trying to blend in in order to orchestrate an audacious escape.
On June 8th, 2022, 37year-old Melissa Cordwell pulled off a daring but short-lived escape from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. She’d been brought in on a misdemeanor theft and forgery charges. Accused of cashing a fake $200 check and swiping two cases of Bud Light from a Shell station. Now, while making a phone call in the intake area around 300 p.m.
, Melissa noticed a group of inmates being released, seizing the moment, she quietly slipped out of her jail uniform, blended into the crowd, and walked right out of the door without anyone realizing. But her freedom didn’t last long. As soon as the cops knew she was gone, a full-blown manhunt began with her face plastered on wanted posters across the area.
It took less than 24 hours for authorities to track her down, and when they did, she had some more charges. Now, there’s escape related offenses stacked on top. A judge wasn’t taking any chances this time, setting her bond at a steep $115,000. What starts as a low-level arrest turned into a whole new mess, proving that not every escape plan is as clever as it seems.
And well, just like Melissa Cordwell, Amber Gonzalez pulled off a bold escape from Waua County Jail, where she was being held on theft charges. While in a holding area at the police station, she was cuffed to a wall and left unattended for a brief moment. Fearing jail time would separate her from her children, she saw an opportunity and took it.
She manages to slip out of her handcuffs and tried unlocking the door, but then she spotted a set of keys hanging on a nearby door handle. She grabbed them, unlocked the door, and walked right out, taking those keys with her. Her escape would continue darting through backyards, weaving through the neighborhood to avoid the police, and eventually make it to the Tobacco Outlas Plus Groceries Convenience Store on Puakei Road.
Authorities eventually catch up with her and she’s taken right back to custody. Though, she gets off relatively easy, released on a $500 signature bond. This next one is something like straight out of a movie, cuz we have a 31-year-old woman, Tori Smith, from New Orleans, executing a classic Hollywood style escape by slipping out of the central jail without detection in November 2009.
She’d only been in custody for about 2 hours before she saw this opportunity to escape. Surveillance can show you how it all goes down. We have an officer transferring inmates, and he mistakenly leaves both an exterior and interior door slightly open, preventing the locks from engaging.
A minute later, Smith, who had just asked to use the bathroom, casually pushed open the transfer room door, slips through the unsecured exterior door, and made her way outside. Oh, she didn’t waste any time sprinting down the 2800 block of Paridito Street. She reaches a fence, climbs over it, and vanishes.
A jail nurse happened to spot her scaling a fence and immediately alerted deputies. But by then, Smith was already gone. Her escape didn’t last long, though, cuz less than a day later, authorities track her down at the Huntington Park Apartments on Crowder Boulevard. She almost got away with that Hollywood style breakout, but in the end, it’s just not enough.
Now, moving on to Sarah Joe Pender’s story, which is one of crime, deception, and one of the most infamous prison escapes by a female inmate. We go back to 2000. Sarah and her boyfriend, Richard Hull, were convicted of murdering their two roommates in Indianapolis. According to prosecutors, Pender was the mastermind of the killings, persuading Hull to pull the trigger.
The victims, Andrew Cataldi and Trisha Nordman, were shot execution style in their home. Afterwards, the bodies were dumped in a dumpster. Even though Pender didn’t pull the trigger, she was given 110 years in prison for her active role in that crime. So, fast forward to 2008 and Pender makes headlines again, but this time for breaking out of Rockville Correctional Facility.
With the help of a prison guard, Scott Spitler, and her former boyfriend, Jaime Long, she walks right out of the front door using this fake pass and a change of clothes. Her escape triggers a nationwide manhunt, and she managed to stay on the run for nearly 4 months, even landing on the US Marshall’s most wanted list. But her luck ran out in December 2008 when she was found hiding in a house in Chicago.
She was swiftly sent back to prison and the escape only added more time to her already massive sentence. While no surveillance footage of her escape has been publicly released, reports detail how she used manipulation to gain the trust of those who helped her flee. Her case has been featured in various crime documentaries, making her one of the most well-known female fugitives in recent history.
But as shocking as that might have been, this next one’s going to leave your mouth open. Just past midnight on June 7th, 2022, a regular shift at Hillsboro County Detention Center takes a terrifying turn. Deputy Lilian Aimenez was making her rounds when 42-year-old inmate Bridget Harvey approaches her, claiming that another inmate, 37year-old April Culvin, needed assistance in the women’s bathroom.
But what should have been a routine welfare check quickly spiraled into chaos. So, for some background here, Harvey was locked up for home invasion, armed robbery, petty theft, and drug possession. While Culvin’s facing charges for resisting arrest, trespassing, and drug possession, these two were no strangers to trouble.
And that night, they proved just how dangerous they could be. As a menace stepped into the bathroom, Harvey suddenly lunges at her from behind, wrapping a pillowcase around her neck in an attempt to her. But before the attack could turn deadly, other inmates jump in, prying the fabric from Amen’s throat and restraining Harvey until the ER team arrived.
Even though Amen was saved, she still suffered injuries to her neck and throat. Now, after she was subdued, Harvey admitted that the attack was premeditated. She’d even sharpened a comb with her teeth, planning to use that as a weapon, and her actions got her some fresh charges, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and attempted escape.
As for Culvin, she was hit with conspiracy charges for her role in the setup. So, while Bridget Harvey had to make a weapon by using her teeth to sharpen a comb, this next one’s going to leave you thinking how creative some inmates can be, particularly when they’re trying to be mischievous in prison. In February 2021, 39-year-old Amy Wilhight from Missouri managed to sneak in a tiny loaded 22 caliber revolver that was fully loaded with five rounds into the Boone County jail by hiding it in her body cavity, specifically her private
area. Despite undergoing multiple searches, both pat downs and strip searches when she was arrested on Valentine’s Day, the gun went undetected. It wasn’t until 17 days later that jail staff discovered the weapon concealed amongst her personal belongings. The firearm was a mere 4 in long and weighed just 4.6 oz.
I guess making it small enough to evade notice during initial inspections. I don’t know. When questioned, Amy claimed that she was holding the gun for another inmate. But fellow prisoners pointed to her as the owner. So now facing the gravity of her actions, she pleads guilty to a felony charge of introducing a weapon into a correctional facility.
Well, that gives her a 10-year prison sentence, which she’s currently serving at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center. That really highlights significant security oversight within the jail system, and just underscores the lengths to which some people go to circumvent the law at any cost.
And just like Amy Willite, Dallas Archer made headlines for doing the same thing. Authorities say 19-year-old Dallas J. Archer was hiding a loaded gun inside her vagina. In April 2014, 19-year-old Dallas Archer from Kingsport, Tennessee, found herself in a predicament that quickly escalated to a headline grabbing incident.
Pulled over for driving with a suspended license, Archer was taken to the Kingsport City Jail for booking. Now, during a standard intake process, a female officer noticed something unusual during a search. Upon closer inspection, they find a loaded 22 caliber mini revolver concealed in her original cavity.
The tiny firearm measuring about 4 in had been reported stolen from a local resident’s vehicle the previous year. Now, the owner, upon learning where his missing gun had been found, expressed some shock and humorously remarked about needing to sanitize it before getting it back. Archer faced multiple charges, including introducing contraband into a penal facility and possession of stolen property.
In November 2015, she plead guilty and was given 3 years in prison with additional time for related offenses. What a wild way to conceal an item, huh? Especially in prison. But if you think that was crazy, you got to hear about the fake transgender woman who raped a female inmate. In April 2022, a woman known as Rose Doe was incarcerated at the Rosem Singer Center, the woman’s facility on Riker’s Island.
Now, her time there took a harrowing turn when a new inmate presenting as a transgender woman was placed in her dorm. And from the outset, the individual made unsettling advances, openly stating, “I’m not transgender. I’m straight. I like women.” Wow. Alarmed, Rose immediately reported that behavior to correctional staff, expressing her concerns about the inmate’s true intentions.
But despite her warnings, nobody cared and did nothing about it. And tragically, a few days later, while Rose was asleep, she was actually assaulted by this disgusting inmate. In response to this grievous incident, Rose filed a lawsuit against New York City. The suit alleges that jail officials were negligent and failed to protect her despite clear warnings.
It also claims that the perpetrator may have been instructed by the Department of Correction staff to falsely identify as a transgender to gain access to the female housing unit. The case has ignited discussions about the policy surrounding housing assignments for transgender inmates and the responsibility of correctional institutions to ensure the safety of all prisoners.
While specific surveillance footage of the incident hasn’t been made public, the lawsuit and subsequent media coverage have brought significant attention to the challenges and vulnerabilities faced by inmates in similar situations. As of now, the lawsuit is ongoing and Rose continues to advocate for justice and systemic changes to prevent such things from ever happening again.
And just like Rose Doe, Mazi Clark found herself in exactly the same predicament in the hands of another transgender. In a troubling case that has drawn significant attention, former inmate Mazi Clark has filed a federal lawsuit against the Washington Department of Corrections alleging repeated sexual assaults by her transgender cellmate Christopher Scott Williams at the Washington Correction Center for Women, WCW.
Uh, Christopher Scott Williams, a wonderful 35-year-old convicted child molester and domestic abuser, identified as a female and was subsequently transferred to WCCW. Standing at 6’4 in, William had a history of violent offenses, including molesting a family member during childhood and assaulting a male guard in a men’s prison.
Upon sharing a cell with Williams, Clark alleges that she was subjected to continuous sexual harassment and assault. She said that Williams made inappropriate comments all the time, watched her during private moments, especially while in the shower, and on multiple occasions sexually assaulted her while she slept. But again, she threw out those red flags.
And Clark claims that her concerns were dismissed and she was discouraged from filing any more official reports. One troubling incident happened when Clark awoke to find Williams sitting on the floor next to her bed with his arm under her blanket rubbing her genitals. A correctional officer alerted by the commotion intervened and questioned Williams about his actions.
But despite that wonderful intervention, Williams wasn’t immediately removed from the cell and Clark continued to feel unsafe. So following all that, Clark filed a federal lawsuit against the Washington DOC, alleging violation of her constitutional rights and seeking restitution for the trauma she endured. Now, her case has sparked a broader debate about the policy surrounding housing transgender inmates, especially those with a disgusting violent history in facilities aligning with their gender identity. So, as of now, the lawsuit is
still pending, and discussions continue regarding the safety and rights of inmates in similar situations. Her case has amplified calls for policy reviews to ensure the protection of all incarcerated individuals. But even though Mazy Clark and Malikica Calhoun shared the same fate of extreme harassment, the perpetrators were practically different.
This November 2018, Malikica Calhoun finds herself behind bars at the suburban SeaTac City Hall, brought in for questioning related to an autotheft case. But one officer, 31-year-old Paul Sheen, takes issue with her demeanor. In his view, Malikica had this attitude problem while in the holding area.
Once inside the cell, he told her to remove her shoes. Surveillance footage captures the moment Malikica casually kicks one shoe toward the door, but the second she does, Paul charges at her. He forcefully shoves her against the wall before yanking her down to the floor by her hair. Another deputy enters the scene just as Paul restrains Malikica, pinning her face down on the floor.
The video shows us Paul striking her multiple times before yanking her upright and escorting her out. But here is the shocking part. Malikica was never formally charged with a crime, meaning Paul’s actions were deemed excessive and led to charges of fourthderee assault against him. Meanwhile, the second officer in the video was just a trainee, so no charges were filed against him.
Paul, however, pled not guilty, insisting Malikica had thrown her shoe at him and that his actions were simply an attempt to prevent further aggression. Come on. So, in July 2010, after two trials ended in deadlock, the case was dismissed. The first jury was locked at 11:1 in favor of conviction, while the second one was split 11:1 in favor of a quiddle.
Given the inability to reach a unanimous decision, prosecutors decide against the third trial. And just like that, Paul walks away a free man. But for this next one, Puerto Rican jailbirds give new meaning to the term selfie due to the boldness of their actions. Let’s go to 2015. A group of inmates at Bayamon Prison in Puerto Rico found a way to break the monotony of their daily routines by using a contraband mobile phone.
They snap some provocative photos within their cell block. The images feature women in various poses, some scantily clad, others completely nude, and then guess what? They’re even shared online. The situation escalates pretty bad when a national newspaper picks up the story, publishing many controversial photos for a wider audience. The unexpected exposure prompted the prison administration to take swift action.
The warden of the prison ordered an immediate crackdown, initiating intensive searches throughout the facility. Sniffer dogs were brought in to locate the illicit mobile device responsible for these unauthorized photos. The incident not only highlights the inmate’s access to prohibited items, but also raises some concerns about security protocol in Puerto Rico.
And while we don’t have the specifics for what happened, such breaches typically result in disciplinary action, including some extended sentences or maybe a loss of privileges. But this particular episode underscores the challenges prisons face in preventing contraband from entering their premises and the things some people do when they’re bored and need to make some money.
But unlike Puerto Rican jailbirds, some female inmates in the Damada prison of Honduras prove that they can be just as dangerous as their male counterparts. Authorities say gang members entered a section of this woman’s prison where rival gang members were held. Then inmates were shot and others were burnt in the facility located in Tamara north of Honduras’s capital.
In June 2023, Honduras was shaken by a tragic event at the Women’s Center for Social Adaptation in Tamara, located about 29 km northwest of the capital, Tiguchi Galpa. Now, this facility designed to accommodate around 400 inmates was housing now between 8 and 900 women at the time, leading to some severe overcrowding.
On the morning of June 20th, a violent riot erupts within the prison. This primarily happened between two rivals, MS-13 and 18th Street. And according to reports, members of the 18th Street armed themselves with pistols, machetes, and even machine guns. and they launched this brutal attack on fellow inmates targeting members of MS-13.
The asalants not only opened fire but also used machetes. And in this horrifying turn of events, they locked surviving victims in their cells and set them ablaze. The aftermath was devastating. Initial reports confirmed at least 41 women dead with the numbers later rising to 46. Many of these victims were burnt beyond recognition, making identification challenging.
Images from local media would show thick black smoke billowing from the prison complex, highlighting the intensity of the blaze. So, in response to this tragedy, Anduran President Castro expressed profound shock and outrage. She described the incident as a monstrous murder orchestrated by street gangs and vowed to implement drastic measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The government went into a state of emergency and announced new plans for a max security prison on the remote Swan Islands. This place aims to isolate the most dangerous gang leaders and violent offenders, reducing their influence within the general population. It goes to show you what’s going down in Tamara.
We have overcrowding, inadequate security, and the pervasive influence of gangs. But now we head over to Clark County Jail in Indiana. And watch this prison guard sell some keys to the female unit to somehungry male inmates. In late October 2021, a disgusting thing unfolds at Clark County Jail in Jeffersonville, Indiana, that would later be described as a night of terror.
So on the night of October 23rd, male inmates gain unauthorized access to the female housing pods, leading to a series of assaults that have since become the subject of multiple lawsuits. According to the allegations, David Low, a corrections officer at the time, accepted a $1,000 bribe from male inmates in exchange for providing them with keys to the women’s section of the jail.
This breach allowed male prisoners to enter the female pods undetected where they reportedly assaulted, harassed, and intimidated them over the course of several hours. The male inmates allegedly covered their faces with towels to conceal their identities and threatened further harm if the women did call for help. These females have recounted that despite surveillance cameras capturing the movements within the jail, no officers intervened during the prolonged assault.
The women were left there to defend themselves. Many hiding under bunks or in bathrooms to escape the attackers. And here’s the crazy part. In the aftermath of this horrific incident, instead of receiving support, the victims were reportedly punished by jail officials, they were subjected to 72 hours of lockdown during which personal items, including pillows and hygiene products, were confiscated.
So, you can imagine after this multiple lawsuits have been filed. The first was initiated in June 2022, which included 20 female inmates as plaintiffs, alleging gross negligence on the part of the jail staff and administration. A subsequent lawsuit in July 2022 added eight more women to that list, bringing the total to 28.
These legal actions named former officer David Lowe, Clark County Sheriff Jaime Null, and other unidentified jail staff as defendants. David Low was terminated from his position following that incident and now faces criminal charges including trafficking with an inmate aiding escape and official misconduct. Sheriff Jamie Null has denied the allegations with his wonderful attorney stating that an internal investigation yielded information contradicting the claims made in the lawsuits. Uh-huh.
But this incident really sparks discussion about our systemic failures here in the US, highlighting some issues such as inadequate supervision, potential corruption, and the urgent need for prison reform to ensure the safety and rights of its inmates. And as horrific as that was, it can’t even be compared to the male inmate who seems not to be able to keep his pants up, especially on the female side of the prison.
It’s April 11th, 2024. Justin Adrienne Avery, a 29year-old from Mesa, Arizona, was arrested on ASU’s Tempe campus after allegedly assaulting multiple women within approximately an hour. Reports indicate that he targeted several women in broad daylight, leading to his apprehension near the Hayden Library. Notably, Avery had no affiliation with the university.
So, while detained at the Maricopa County Intake, Transfer, and Release Facility on April 17th, 2024, Avery is captured on surveillance footage executing a brazen attempt to assault a female inmate. The video shows Avery dressed in this orange jumpsuit crawling on the floor past an unsuspecting security guard to access the women’s section of the facility around 4:00 a.m.
He approaches a sleeping female inmate and attempts to assault her. That was interrupted when another woman shouted, alerting the guards who promptly intervened. Following these events, Avery had a multitude of charges. In April 2024, he was indicted on 13 criminal counts, including 10 felonies involving seven female accusers.
The charges encompassed kidnapping, attempted sexual assault, thirdderee burglary, and aggravated assault with sexual motivation. Additionally, he was accused of assaulting a Maricopa County employee, further complicating his legal situation. A competency hearing was scheduled to assess his mental fitness to stand trial.
And as of September 2024, Avery remained in custody, awaiting further legal proceedings. What he did was pretty sick. But if you think that was wild, wait until you hear how power was misused in the four walls of incarceration for a very sadistic motive. Ray J. Garcia, 55, from Merced, California, held a prominent position overseeing the Federal Correctional Institute, FCI, in Dublin, a low security facility housing female inmates.
Now, his role placed him in this position of authority and trust, responsible for the well-being and safety of the incarcerated women. But in 2021, disturbing reports come out accusing Garcia of sexually abusing multiple inmates. Now, the allegations detailed that he coerced these female inmates into sexual acts and then took explicit photographs of him within their cells.
The gravity of that led to a thorough investigation. And in December 2022, a federal jury in Oakland found Garcia guilty on multiple counts, including sexually abusive conduct against three female inmates and making false statements to government agents. On March 22nd, 2023, Garcia was given 70 months, nearly 6 years, in federal prison.
Beyond the prison term, though, he was mandated to serve 15 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution. And then he had to register as a sex offender in California, marking a significant fall from grace from the former warden. Garcia’s actions not only traumatized his victims but also cast a shadow over the integrity of the federal prison system.
FCI Dublin under his leadership was derogatorily referred to as a rape club, underscoring the pervasive issues within that place. The case prompted calls for comprehensive reforms to protect its inmates and to ensure accountability among prison staff. But while that investigation into Garcia’s misconduct was extensive, specific details about surveillance footage or videos related to it haven’t been publicly disclosed.
And they do that to protect the privacy and dignity of the victims involved. Ray J Garcia’s transition from a trusted warden to a convicted felon again reminds us of the abuse and the imperative need for vigilance, oversight, and systemic reforms to safeguard vulnerable populations. Now, this next one’s a doozy about a young British killer.
Sharon Carr, dubbed the devil’s daughter, became the youngest female murderer in the UK when she killed a stranger at just 12 years old. Let’s get a little context. June 7th, 1992, Sharon Carr brutally murdered 18-year-old Katie Ratcliffe in Farnboro, Hampshire. Now, Katie had been out with her friends and was on her way home when Carr, seemingly without motive, attacked her.
Armed with a knife, Carr stabbed her an estimated 32 times, leaving her body in a horrific state. The attack was described as frenzied and sadistic with no clear reason. Katie and Sharon had never even met before that night. Now, at the time, the case was cold because there were no solid leads.
Who’s going to suspect a 12-year-old girl could be responsible for such a brutal killing? For 2 years, Carr kept going as if nothing had happened. But in 1994, she was arrested for stabbing another girl. So, while in custody for this attack, she starts bragging to fellow inmates and even writing diary entries about how much she had enjoyed killing Katie.
In one entry, she wrote, “I was born to be a murderer.” Another chilling line read, “It felt amazing to watch her die.” Jesus. When authorities linked her to Katie’s murder, they couldn’t believe they had a 14-year-old girl confessing to a crime from 2 years earlier. Now, here’s where it gets really crazy. In 1997 at just 17 years of age, Sharon Carr was given life in prison for the murder of Katie Ratcliffe.
Now, she remains incarcerated, but her time behind bars, has been nothing but chaotic. We don’t have any footage of her activities, but a reports claim she’s already assaulted prison staff, exhibited some violent behavior, and even expressed desire to kill again as she attempts to slit the throat of another inmate.
Now, psychologists have been studying her case, trying to understand how someone so young could be so remorseless. Many believe she has some deep-seated sick psychological issues from a very early age. God only knows what she grew up with.
