BLOUNTSTOWN — Law enforcement officers have ended the search for an escaped convict who broke out of jail over the weekend, according to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Officials with the CCSO announced the capture of 49-year-old William Lamar Mercer, of Fountain, in Jackson County Monday at about 5:30 p.m.
Details of the circumstances of the capture were not available Monday night.
Mercer, who had a history of violent crimes, escaped from the Calhoun County jail early Saturday morning. Although Mercer was not believed to be armed, authorities suspected he could be dangerous because of his criminal record, according to Sheriff Glenn Kimbrel.
“I wouldn’t want to have him over to dinner with me or any of my citizens — especially uninvited,” he said.
Kimbrel said authorities knew of Mercer making contact with a Calhoun County resident as recent as Sunday morning, but most leads on the escaped convict’s whereabouts went cold as authorities suspected Mercer may have left the area for a surrounding county.
The search then shifted to Jackson County late Monday afternoon, due to a tip from a citizen. The Jackson Correctional Institution and the Apalachee Correctional Institution K-9 Tracking Teams caught up to Mercer Monday evening, officials reported.
CCSO reported that Mercer could have escaped through the county jail’s kitchen area Saturday morning after breaking a lock.
He had been institutionalized after being arrested Jan. 10 on charges of purchasing and delivering methamphetamine. Mercer also had a previous criminal history including bank robbery and armed burglary charges, officials said.
No additional charges had been listed to Mercer’s court records in Calhoun County as of Monday night.