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Murder suspect who escaped from an Arkansas jail is captured after a weeklong search

An internal investigation revealed that personnel at Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center in Pine Bluff didn’t perform an accurate head count, so Jatonia Bryant and another inmate weren’t discovered missing for 36 hours.
/ Source: The Associated Press

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Arkansas authorities on Monday captured a detainee being held on murder charges who escaped from a local jail.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said officers captured Jatonia Bryant on the east side of Pine Bluff, about 40 miles southeast of Little Rock, when he was walking in the area. Bryant was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said in a release.

Bryant and Noah Roush were discovered missing Jan. 22 from the Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center in Pine Bluff. Bryant, 23, was being detained on probable cause for a capital murder charge in connection with a 2023 shooting, according to authorities. Roush, 22, was being held on probable cause for residential burglary and theft of property charges.

Roush was captured Thursday. Both have been returned to the jail facility.

Noah Roush and Jatonia Bryant.
Noah Roush and Jatonia Bryant.Jefferson County Sheriff's Office

The sheriff’s office on Monday said an internal investigation revealed that jail personnel did not perform an accurate head count, so the two weren’t discovered missing for 36 hours. The sheriff’s office said it also planned to pursue criminal charges against anyone who assisted Bryant and Roush.