Louisiana Top Investigator Speaks
For the first time, we heard at a news conference from the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, the compound from which the fugitives escaped on March 4th. Colonel Michael Edmonson recounted the emotional conversation he had with the wife of David Cups, the body of the man found on March 9th, allegedly killed by the escapees. “They did not have to kill him, they could have just taken the rental car,” says the wife of David Cups in a phone call to Edmonson. Edmonson says as a husband and father of 4 children he’s doesn’t get why they killed Cups. But, from the perspective of a veteran law enforcement officer he understands it’s a harsh reality. “It should not have happened…. this should not have happened,” says Edmonson with emotion. Questions flooded the Colonel as to how these men were allowed to work as trustees at the state prison. “We actually go around to prisons around the state and we interview people…. we look at their backgrounds… we look at why they were arrested and did they admit to what they did. We look at their behavior since being in prison,” says Edmonson. He saysthe trustee program had been successful up to this point and that it’s been used to integrate inmates back into society. “I’ve got a parallel investigation going on in Baton Rouge to determine what took place… and whether these men were aided or abetted in any way allowing them to leave the compound without immediately being noticed,” says Edmonson. Edmonson says they want to make sure policies, procedures, and checks are in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
