Georgia Jail Escape: Inmate’s Mother and Stepfather Behind Bars
In a dramatic turn of events, an inmate at Georgia’s Dougherty County Jail managed to overpower a guard during a hospital visit last week, making a daring escape. Carlton Bradford Gillis, 36, who was awaiting trial for burglary in one jurisdiction and previously convicted of violent assault in another, is now the subject of an ongoing manhunt, according to the Albany Police Department.
Gillis faced a slew of charges, including burglary, criminal damage to property, interference with government property, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, and violation of probation. In Terrell County, he also faced weapons-related charges, which were to be served after completing his current sentence.
On October 7th, at around 10:50 a.m., medical staff at the jail decided that Gillis needed hospitalization. At Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, he managed to overpower a guard, don his hospital gown, and escape. Although the nature of Gillis’ medical emergency remained undisclosed due to privacy laws, Chief Jailer John Ostrander shared his extensive experience, explaining that such incidents were not entirely uncommon.
As of Wednesday, law enforcement had not yet apprehended Gillis. However, Gillis’s mother, Trudy Sellars, 63, and stepfather, Randy Doral Williams, 47, turned themselves in on charges of aiding and permitting an inmate to escape lawful custody. According to jail records and Ostrander, Gillis also accrued new felonies for fleeing a police officer, robbery by force, and kidnapping in the course of his escape.
Interestingly, Trudy Sellars claimed she had not spoken to her son in six months and was unaware of his escape. She stated she picked him up because he had informed her that he had been released from the hospital.
The hunt for Gillis began when a passerby reported seeing a man matching his description jumping into the rear of a green vehicle. Police followed a green Pontiac GTA, with the driver, Randy Williams, alternately using turn signals in an attempt to evade the police. Eventually, they pulled over, and Gillis was discovered in the back seat.
When ordered to surrender, Gillis ignored the instructions and tried to drive off, leading to a high-speed chase. Williams initially attempted to turn off the car but was overpowered by Gillis. At 80 miles per hour, Gillis sped east on the Liberty Expressway and even drove into oncoming traffic in an attempt to escape.
Due to the inmate’s reckless behavior and the presence of his mother in the vehicle, Albany police decided to terminate the pursuit. The car was later found abandoned at the intersection of Nona Drive and Campbell Street, with Gillis’s mother still inside.
Sellars explained that her son fled into the woods and disregarded her pleas to stop. Williams was read his Miranda rights and placed in the back of a patrol car, but it remains unclear when Sellars was charged.
Both Sellars and Williams were arraigned in Dougherty County Court on Wednesday, and it is uncertain whether they have retained legal counsel.