Two women briefly slipped out of custody on Tuesday afternoon while they were being transported to Jail East, only to be picked up and brought back to the facility within minutes. The escape unfolded during a transfer from a Shelby County courthouse, and authorities said both detainees sustained only minor injuries before the episode was over.
According to LocalMemphis, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office identified the women as 36-year-old April White and 40-year-old Shkita Lewis, and said the escape happened at about 4 p.m. on March 31 as they were being moved to Jail East. Deputies apprehended both women near the east Memphis lockup and returned them to custody.
The sheriff’s office told LocalMemphis that White will face a charge of felony escape. Lewis, officials said, will face a felony escape charge along with an additional count of felony attempted theft of property for allegedly trying to take a deputy’s vehicle.
Where It Happened
The county’s women’s jail, known as Jail East, sits in East Memphis and is listed by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office at 6201 Haley Road. The two-story facility, which opened in 1999, functions as a satellite women’s jail, while the county’s main Criminal Justice Center operates downtown at 201 Poplar Avenue. Transfers between the courthouse and Jail East are routine parts of processing and intake.
Charges And Legal Stakes
Escape is a prosecutable offense under Tennessee law and can be charged as a felony in many circumstances. State courts have described escape as a “continuing offense” under Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-601, a framework prosecutors use when pursuing escape counts.
A Tennessee Supreme Court opinion explains that definition and the continuing offense reasoning for escape charges in more detail; see the Tennessee Supreme Court for the court’s discussion. If convicted of felony escape or the alleged attempted vehicle theft, the women could face additional prison time on top of any penalties from their underlying cases.
What’s Next
Both women were returned to Jail East and booked pending the escape-related charges, according to LocalMemphis. Prosecutors and the sheriff’s office are expected to review the circumstances and determine formal filings, with court records to show upcoming dates and the exact counts that are ultimately brought. The sheriff’s office did not immediately release further details beyond its initial statement.
