Shawshank-style New York escape triggers manhunt

A manhunt is underway in America for two convicted murderers who escaped from a maximum security prison in New York State.

Richard Matt, 48, and David Sweat, 34, cut through the back of their cells at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, in scenes reminiscent of the 1994 prison escape film The Shawshank Redemption.

Using power tools, the inmates bored through the steel wall at the back of their cell, leaving a large hole. They duped guards by stuffing jumpers to make it look as if they were sleeping in the bed obscuring the hole.

It could have been a plot from a movie. Governor Andrew Cuomo

The prisoners then crawled along a six-floor-high catwalk, broke through a brick wall, cut their way into and out of a steam pipe, and finally sliced through the chain and lock on a manhole cover which led out into the street.

Extraordinary pictures show their bravado: a hole they sliced through a steel pipe is accompanied by a Post-it note reading “Have a nice day!” and a doodle of a smiley face.

‘Have a nice day!’

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described the breakout as an “extraordinary act” and acknowledged: “It could have been a plot from a movie.”

In The Shawshank Redemption, one of the characters is innocent.

But he added: “These are killers. They are murderers. There’s never been a question about the crimes they committed. They are now on the loose.”

On the run

A manhunt is now underway with more than 200 officers trying to retrace the prisoners’ escape route – the facility is 20 miles from the Canadian border.

A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the pair’s recapture.

David Sweat is serving a life sentence for murdering a sheriff’s deputy in 2002. Richard Matt was convicted for 25 years to life for the kidnapping and beating death of a man in 1997.