A dangerous fugitive who escaped from a Mississippi prison on Christmas Eve has been apprehended. Drew Johnson, a 35-year-old convicted murderer, was found Wednesday near the South Mississippi Correctional Institution, according to state officials.
Convicted murderer recaptured after Christmas Eve prison escape | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/BxbslUZ9M1
— KOAT.com (@koat7news) December 26, 2024
The manhunt began after Johnson broke out of the Leakesville facility Tuesday afternoon. Authorities quickly labeled him “desperate” and warned residents to be extra cautious during the holiday season. “People tend to be more generous during Christmas and let their guard down,” the George County Sheriff’s Department posted on social media.
Drew Johnson, 33, who escaped from South Mississippi Correctional Institution on Christmas Eve, has been recaptured near the prison on Christmas Day. Johnson, described as "extremely dangerous" & "desperate," was serving a life sentence for multiple violent offenses, including… pic.twitter.com/v5aiCL95tB
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) December 26, 2024
Johnson’s violent criminal history spans multiple states. He was sentenced to life in prison for a 2016 murder in Memphis, Tennessee, where he brutally stabbed an acquaintance over two dozen times. Additional convictions include arson and a 2021 assault on another inmate.
🚨🇺🇸 MISSISSIPPI POLICE HUNT FOR ESCAPED KILLER
Drew Johnson, 33, pulled a holiday disappearing act yesterday, escaping from the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, about 122 miles northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana.
He was serving life for a 2022… pic.twitter.com/gGYr1esNEa
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 25, 2024
The fugitive’s capture followed a two-day search near the Greene County prison. Officials have not released details on how Johnson managed to escape from the facility. He now faces further legal trouble for the breakout.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections has announced the capture of a convicted killer who escaped on Christmas Eve. https://t.co/GNWbEBXIap
— Corpus Christi Caller-Times (@callerdotcom) December 27, 2024
Johnson is also tied to an ongoing murder case in Rankin County, Mississippi.
