Print Story
E-mail StoryWas Brothers planning an escape?
| Tuesday, May 29 2007 1:03 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 29 2007 6:12 PM
Having failed to convince a jury of his innocence, Vincent Brothers took matters into his own hands in what apparently was one last desperate bid for freedom before a jury recommended he be sentenced to death Tuesday morning.
Brothers Trial E-mail Alerts
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the Vincent Brothers mass-murder trial.Sign up for the Brothers trial e-mail alerts
To view video for this story
please update your Flash player
Photos:
This photo from the sheriff's department shows the three pieces of metal found in Vincent Brothers hair this morning.
Poll
Do you think Brothers was planning an escape?
Related Stories:
Brothers manipulated his leg restraints and hid a makeshift handcuff key in his hair, authorities said.
A detention deputy at the downtown jail noticed at about 8 a.m., before Brothers was taken to court, that the leg restraints had been manipulated after Brothers changed from his jail-issued clothing to the clothing he would wear in court, Kern County sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Smithson said. Both restraints were attached to the same leg, making them useless.
Shortly afterward, a detention deputy saw a shiny object in Brothers’ hair. A search revealed three small pieces of metal, paper clips that had been fashioned into a makeshift handcuff key, Smithson said.
“The thought at this point is that he could have used the key to open the restraints,” Smithson said.
Additional security measures have been taken, Smithson said. He declined to elaborate.
Sheriff Donny Youngblood said this isn’t the first time inmates have used makeshift keys fashioned from paper clips, ink pens or metal bedsprings to adjust their restraints. But he said the department has no plans to change the restraints because, with the numerous checks deputies perform, the system still works.
It’s pretty obvious that Brothers had escape in mind Tuesday morning, Youngblood said.
“I don’t believe this was a comfort issue,” he said. “I certainly believe there was going to be an attempt to escape.”
Sgt. Ed Komin said the leg irons that Brothers manipulated are basically oversized handcuffs that wrap around an inmate’s ankles. Between the irons is a chain about 18 inches long that allows an inmate to walk but makes running impossible.
The restraints have a single lock and a double lock. In the single lock mode, they can be tightened, and in the double lock mode the restraints cannot be adjusted and are more difficult to finagle.
Komin said he was not sure exactly what type of restraints Brothers was wearing, but he said they can vary from being pretty basic to extreme.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also deals with inmates who at times have figured out how to unlock their shackles, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Capt. Jerry Hernandez said. Once it’s figured out how an inmate undid his leg irons or handcuffs, that information is shared with neighboring agencies, he said.
It wouldn’t make sense to get rid of all of the department’s equipment, Hernandez said. Instead, the department has banned items, such as ballpoint pens, that can be used to spring a lock.
“We just have to find ways to get rid of those items,” Hernandez said.