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2 escaped Wis. inmates captured; prison employee allegedly aided them

Holly Marie Zimdahl, a Columbia Correctional Institution kitchen worker, was charged for helping them escape

WiscNews

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Wis. — Two inmates who escaped from Columbia Correctional Institution early Thursday have been found in Rockford, Illinois, according to the Winnebago County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Office.

Police were searching for Thomas Deering, 46, and James Newman, 37. The two scaled fences at the Portage prison to escape.

According to Illinois authorities, the men were taken into custody at Miss Carly’s, a homeless shelter in Rockford. An employee of the shelter posted on Facebook that the two men showed up at the shelter’s doors “shivering, frozen, wearing prison issue sweats and thermal shirts.”

The men were taken into custody by the Rockford Police Department.

According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the two inmates started their escape at 4:25 a.m. and climbed over two fences by 4:35 a.m. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from CCI at 4:59 a.m. Sheriff Roger Brandner said Thursday the escaped prisoners went to a local motel and were picked up by Portage Cab and transported to Poynette.

It is believed a vehicle picked up Deering and Newman at 5:54 a.m., Thursday at the Poynette Piggly Wiggly and traveled south on Highway 51 leaving Poynette. Rockford Police Department and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office were contacted as investigators had information that the suspects traveled to northern Illinois.

On Thursday night detectives arrested Holly Marie Zimdahl, 46, Pardeeville, and will refer her for charges of being party to the crime of escape. Zimdahl was a civilian kitchen worker at CCI. As the investigation continues, additional arrests are expected.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Office, Rockford Police Department, Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigations, the Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin DNR, Dane and Sauk County Sheriff’s Offices, Department of Corrections, Columbia County DA’s Office, Lodi Police, Poynette Police and Portage Police.

Newman escaped from a supervised living facility in Jackson County on July 17, 2012, according to state Department of Corrections’ inmate records. He was located and placed in a supervised living facility July 24, 2012, in Florida and then returned to Jackson County in October 2013. He was eventually found guilty in Jackson County on felony charges of escape (sentenced to six years in state prison), kidnapping (sentenced to 25 years) and theft of movable property (sentenced to six years).

Newman was initially found guilty in Brown County in 2009 on six felony counts of discharging a firearm in a vehicle or building, according to online court records. His probation for these charges was revoked in 2011 and state Department of Corrections’ inmate records show that he had been imprisoned since 2011 and was at CCI since November 2018.

Deering had escaped from Waupun Correctional Institution on Oct. 4, 2002, by hiding in the back of a delivery truck and was placed in custody again on Dec. 1, 2002.

Deering was found guilty in 2001 in Milwaukee County on felony charges of burglary (sentenced to 10 years in state prison), kidnapping (sentenced to five years) and three counts of second-degree sexual assault, use of force (sentenced to 15 years for each charge).

In 2016, Deering was convicted in Columbia County of felony battery by prisoners and was sentenced to two more years in prison. He has served his prison sentences at CCI since April 2012.

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