Prisoner Escapes Hospital, Caught with Help from Parents
In a daring escape, a prisoner managed to flee from a southwest Georgia hospital but was later recaptured. Carlton Bradford Gillis, 37, had slipped away from an Albany hospital after overpowering a guard on a Saturday. But his escape didn’t last long. Dougherty County sheriff’s deputies successfully captured him on a Thursday.
Gillis wasn’t alone in his escape plan. His mother, Trudy Sellars, aged 63, and his stepfather, Randy Williams, aged 47, were charged with helping him get away. As of Thursday, all three were in jail with no bail set, and none of them had a lawyer listed in Dougherty County court records. Gillis didn’t immediately respond to a message sent to his Facebook account.
Mom and Stepdad Accused of Aiding Gillis
Sellars explained to the police that she and Williams went to pick up Gillis after he called them to say he had been released from the hospital. They claim they didn’t know he was escaping custody. Sellars further stated that Gillis forced her to remain in the car against her will, refusing to let her get out.
An Albany police officer received a tip from a bystander near the hospital on the day of the escape. The bystander reported seeing a man getting into a green car. The officer spotted a green car with the driver repeatedly using left and right turn signals, eventually pulling over on the shoulder of Albany’s freeway bypass. The driver was identified as Williams, and Gillis was in the back seat.
When the officer ordered Gillis to raise his hands, Gillis defied the command, climbed into the driver’s seat, and prevented Williams from turning off the engine. Gillis drove a short distance, and Williams exited the car once it stopped. Gillis continued to flee, reaching speeds of up to 80 mph as he drove into oncoming traffic. Police eventually abandoned the pursuit. The car was later found with Sellars still inside, who informed the officers that Gillis had run into the woods.
Additional Charges for Gillis
Gillis is now facing more charges, including kidnapping, forcible robbery, fleeing from a police officer, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. Before his escape, he was already awaiting trial in Dougherty County on various charges, such as burglary, felony interference with government property, and felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Furthermore, Gillis faces additional charges in neighboring Terrell County.
The saga of this daring escape and subsequent capture continues to unfold as the legal system takes its course.