Texas inmate accused of double murder uses handmade knife to escape from jail, officials say
Charles Spraberry is accused of murder after two bodies were found in a burned camping trailer in Atlanta, Texas on March 12.
LINDEN, Texas (KTRK) -- An inmate accused of killing two people escaped from an east Texas jail, near the Texas-Louisiana border, on Monday, according to ABC affiliate KLTV.
Cass County Sheriff's Office deputies told the TV station that Charles Spraberry, 42, broke out of jail just before 8 p.m.
Cass County Judge Travis Ransom said Spraberry was able to break out after assaulting a jailer with a handmade knife. The jailer suffered minor injuries in the assault, according to Ransom.
Spraberry allegedly "jumped a male jailer and made his way to the booking area located at the front of the jail. Spraberry then forced a female jailer to open the door to the outside, and then he ran outside the jail," CCSO said in a statement.
Sheriff Larry Rowe said Texas Department of Criminal Justice dogs were assisting in the search for Spraberry until about 3 a.m.
"We are pretty confident he is not in the Linden area," Rowe told KLTV.
Ransom said multiple tips have come in about potential sightings of Spraberry.
Local law enforcement, the Department of Public Safety, and the U.S. Marshals are also involved in the search, according to Rowe.
Records show Spraberry was previously released from jail after making his $5,000 bond on Feb. 24 for a charge of sexual assault.
Spraberry is accused of a double murder after two bodies were found in a burned camper trailer in Atlanta, Texas on March 12, according to CCSO.
On March 18, CCSO reported to KLTV that autopsy results indicated the two victims were shot before the trailer was burned.
Spraberry was being held on a $600,000 bond after a massive manhunt that ended on March 25 in connection to the double murder, authorities said.
On March 19, Spraberry allegedly stole a woman's car in Texarkana and ended up in Beauregard Parish, about three hours south of Texarkana, according to CCSO.
Spraberry faces multiple felony charges including sexual assault, assault by strangulation, assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and kidnapping.
If you have seen Spraberry or know where he is call 911 immediately. Authorities consider him armed and dangerous and urged people not to approach him.
The search for Spraberry, a man considered dangerous, comes nearly three months after escapee Gonzalo Lopez's flight from the law ended with a man and his four grandsons killed.
The Lopez incident has since prompted major adjustments in the Texas correctional system, specifically when it comes to transporting prisoners.
Lopez, who was shot to death by law enforcement in June, was serving time for a murder conviction.
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