Victim's mother reacts to inmate escape

NEW CASTLE, Ind. (WISH) - Police are still looking for two state prison escapees from Indiana. A third was tracked down in Grand Beach, Michigan. That's about 8 miles from the Michigan City prison they escaped.

Charlie Smith was serving a 95 year prison sentence for killing his cousin Melvin Denny back in 1998. Denny's mother spoke exclusively to 24-Hour News 8's Gene Rodriguez.

Ruth Ann Denny, Melvin's mother remembers the tragic day her son was killed. She said it wasn't until two weeks later that she learned her nephew Charlie Smith was responsible for the brutal murder.

"He went to my son’s home and my son was there by himself and he went in and shot him five times and cut his throat," said Denny.

In 1999, a judge sentenced Smith to 95 years in prison.

"Yeah we thought he would never get out they said he would never get out."

Then Sunday morning her daughter got a phone call from authorities, Charlie Smith escaped Sunday.

"We was scared cause we were afraid that maybe he might try to come this way," Denny said.

Police captured Smith about 8 miles from the prison in Grand Beach, Michigan early Monday morning.

Police are still scouring southern Michigan and northern Indiana searching for convicted killer, Mark Booher and convicted rapist, Lance Battreal. All three escaped through the prison's underground pipes.

The last time someone escaped from the Michigan City prison was in September of 1998. Police searched for Larry Woods but never found him.

Prison officials believe Woods escaped in a trash truck and may have been killed when the driver compacted the load. They even searched the local dump.

This time, prison officials think the three planned their escape for some time.

"We believe two of the three changed their appearance by cutting their hair we did find some hair in the tunnels. So this was planned and they didn't do this on a lark," said Doug Garrison of Indiana Department of Correction.

Again, local and federal authorities are looking for convicted rapist Lance Battreal of Spencer County, Indiana and convicted killer Mark Booher of Henry County. Both are believed to be dangerous.

If you have any information that may lead police to Battreal or Booher please call your local law enforcement agency.