HENDERSON, Kentucky — One escaped prisoner from Ohio was captured in Kentucky, and the other was found dead floating in the Ohio River on Sunday afternoon, according to the United States Marshals Service.
James Lee was apprehended after the vehicle he was in crashed. Bradley Gillespie, who fled on foot and was at-large after the crash, was found floating in the Ohio River on Sunday afternoon, near where he originally evaded police in Henderson, Kentucky.
“A preliminary investigation indicates we recovered the body of Bradley Gillespie from the river,” said Sean McKinney, the Chief of the Henderson Police Department. “There will be an autopsy performed on Tuesday.
“We are glad to have closure to this situation and this event. However, I do not feel it is appropriate to celebrate death of any life at this time.”
Lee was sentenced in 2021 for burglary, safecracking, breaking and entering in Allen and Auglaize counties. Gillespie was imprisoned since 2016 after being convicted in a double homicide in Paulding County.
A reward for up to $20,000 was offered by the U.S. Marshals and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for information leading to their arrests after their May 23 escape.
Members of the Henderson Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service were all involved in the manhunt.
Gillespie was wanted by the United States Marshals Service, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections after he escaped May 23 from Allen Correctional Facility in Lima. Gillespie escaped the facility with Lee, and the two surfaced in Henderson, Kentucky on May 24 after they were pursued by local police.
Authorities say the duo crashed the car they were driving near Hays Park in Henderson, Kentucky. Lee was apprehended shortly after the pursuit but Gillespie evaded police by fleeing on foot.
Henderson police and the United States Marshals Service quickly established a perimeter around the surrounding area where Gillespie fled, to include a peninsula that was surrounded by the Ohio River.
Dozens of law enforcement officers from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio responded to assist with the massive manhunt. After approximately 72 hours of relentlessly searching for Gillespie, the manhunt stopped, and a fugitive investigation started, authorities stated.
Gillespie’s body was found floating in the Ohio River, near where he originally fled from police. The identification of Gillespie was confirmed through a physical inspection and tattoo confirmation.
