NEWS

Inmate said he'd escape, kill girlfriend

Nathaniel Shuda
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Leland C. LaRock

A man serving time for felony burglary and theft was nearing the end of his prison sentence when he escaped Oct. 9 from the state-run Winnebago Correctional Center in Oshkosh.

Authorities did not notify the public until four days later, creating an outcry among local and state leaders, though police maintain neither Leland C. Larock, nor his alleged accomplice, Austin W. Reynolds, both 21, posed a threat to public safety.

But new information suggests that Larock might have been out to kill. A Wisconsin Department of Corrections report about the escape states he told his girlfriend during a phone conversation before the escape that he would "get out and kill her."

Police investigating the incident say Larock, whose criminal record comprises mostly nonviolent offenses, remains at large but insist he does not pose a danger to the public.

Related story: Council queries city's notifications policy

According to the three-page document, obtained Wednesday by the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team in response to an open records request, a sergeant at the facility reported at 8:45 p.m. Oct. 9 that two inmates, Larock and Reynolds, were missing from their rooms. After the sergeant tried paging them, corrections personnel searched the facility.

In an interview with the inmates' roommates, authorities learned that Larock had talked to his girlfriend on the phone, telling her he was going to "get out and kill her." Authorities immediately notified the Brown County Sheriff's Office that Larock might be headed to his girlfriend's home.

"He wasn't a danger to the public," Oshkosh police spokesman Officer Joe Nichols said Thursday, noting authorities contacted Larock's girlfriend out of concern for her safety but did not release that information because it is part of an ongoing investigation.

In an Oct. 27 debriefing, Police Chief Scott Greuel said such cases of inmates up and leaving the facility, which is not completely fenced in, happen more than the public realizes and that police typically do not notify the public every time it happens.

"Having said that, we didn't meet public expectations or our own expectations as it relates to public information," Greuel said.

Related story: Oshkosh police: We erred in not reporting escape sooner

The Winnebago Correctional Center, 4300 Sherman Road, is a minimum-security facility operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and typically houses inmates who have work release privileges, are nearing the end of their prison sentences or both.

Corrections Department spokeswoman Joy Staab did not respond to requests this week for more information about the department's phone monitoring policies or its involvement in the investigation. During an Oct. 13 interview, Staab declined to comment about the incident, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation being led by the Oshkosh Police Department.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office did not respond to a request this week for comment.

Creating a dialogue

The escape sparked a discussion both locally and statewide about if and when authorities should notify the public about such incidents, with several state lawmakers questioning the Corrections Department's response and at least one proposing a system, similar to an Amber Alert or Silver Alert, for whenever a fugitive escapes a state-run correctional facility.

"It was a wake-up call," said state Rep. David Steffen, R-Howard. "I couldn’t understand how it was four days before the public was notified of these individuals leaving a DOC facility. Now, of course, it is minimum security, but it still was something where there was a public safety element involved with it."

David Steffen

No statewide standards or guidelines exist across the Wisconsin Correctional Center System for how and when to notify the public, Steffen said. He wants to help resolve the issue through policy changes, and he also is drafting legislation to establish statutory time requirements, based on the type of facility. Those time limits likely would be different for minimum-security facilities, such as Winnebago Correctional.

"Those people are often amongst us, if you will, and we need to understand that a walk-away is treated as being different than a true 'Shawshank Redemption'-type prison break," Steffen said. "With that said, there needs to be some sort of standardization or guidance either through policy or state law."

"We need to do everything we can to protect the public, and awareness is a form of protection," Steffen said, noting that having hundreds of thousands of people on the lookout for an escapee can help law enforcement.

"I look at this as an opportunity to make sure we're addressing the public safety element that, perhaps, was not properly handled in this case."

The search continues

One day after notifying the public, authorities arrested Reynolds after citizens reported seeing him on the west side of Green Bay. But they have received no tips about Larock's whereabouts, and there is an active warrant out for his arrest, Nichols said.

"We're pretty sure he's being hid someplace, and somebody knows where," Nichols said. "He's not out there on his own."

Anyone who sees Larock or has any information about his whereabouts should call their local law enforcement agency, Nichols said. Tipsters also may anonymously contact the Winnebago County Wide Crime Stoppers by calling 920-231-8477, texting "IGOTYA" and a tip to 274637 or submitting a tip online at www.winnebagocrimestoppers.org.

Related story: Oshkosh police seek 2 escaped inmates

Larock was serving a three-year, six-month prison sentence for violating his probation in connection to felony burglary and theft convictions in Shawano County, according to online court and prison records. He was transferred Sept. 9 to the Winnebago Correctional Center from the Dodge Correctional Institution and was scheduled for release on Feb. 25.

On Nov. 6, prosecutors filed felony counts of criminal escape as a repeat offender against both Larock and Reynolds; the charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Reach Nathaniel Shuda at 920-426-6632 or nshuda@thenorthwestern.com; on Twitter @onwnshuda. Keegan Kyle of the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team contributed to this report.

Timeline of authorities' response to Oct. 9 escape

• 8:45 p.m.: Correctional sergeant reported inmates Leland LaRock and Austin Reynolds missing and formal center count started

• 9:05 p.m.: Staff determined LaRock and Reynolds were not in the center

• 9:10 p.m.: Wisconsin Department of Corrections monitoring center notified

• 9:15 p.m.: Brown County Sheriff's Department notified of threat to girlfriend

• 9:25 p.m.: Oshkosh Police Department and Winnebago County Sheriff's Office notified

• 9:40 p.m.: Winnebago Mental Health Institute notified

• 9:43 p.m.: Wisconsin State Patrol notified

• 9:46 p.m.: Oshkosh Correctional Institution notified

• 9:55 p.m.: Oshkosh police arrives at the center and given photos of the inmates

• 10 p.m.: Correctional captain arrives at the center

• 10:10 p.m.: Authorities monitor phone system for calls for both inmates

• 10:15 p.m.: Both inmates rooms packed and searched for evidence

• 11:05 p.m.: Additional address of visitors provided to Oshkosh police and Brown County notified of girlfriend's updated address

• 11:10 p.m.: Correctional captain and Oshkosh police officer interview Larock's roommate

• 11:30 p.m.: Oshkosh police leaves grounds

• 11:43 p.m.: Warrant request faxed to Corrections Department

• 12:03 a.m.: Authorities review center cameras for evidence

Source: Wisconsin Department of Corrections