CBS 19 - The Eye of East Texas News - Escaped Rusk County Inmate Back in Custody

Escaped Rusk County Inmate Back in Custody

By Wilton Johnson

Back in May, James McGee was arrested for several smash and grab burglaries in Henderson. He candidly told CBS19 a drug problem was to blame.

"It didn't justify what I did, but that's what I was doing it for, to supply my cocaine and alcohol habit," McGee said as he left Judge Bob Richardson's courtroom May 4th.

He wasn't too talkative this morning before he was arraigned for escaping from the Rusk County Jail Sunday morning. The Sheriff's Office says he ran after taking trash to an outside bin. Once he got away, Myrtle Lacy drove him to Tyler where he was arrested Sunday night, 17 hours after he escaped. McGee says she is his fiancee and court records show they have the same address.

"Information we received, she left her residence and transported him to Smith County. She knew he wasn't released from custody, he was facing ten years," Sheriff Danny Pirtle said Monday morning.

The 10 year sentence came from his parole violation for the smash and grabs. After his arraignment, McGee said Lacy had nothing to do with his trip to Tyler.

"I think its a bunch of <expletive>, this lady ya'll bout to bring in here they just done made her an accomplice. <Expletive) up somebody's.... It wasn't my partner, they dragged my fiancee into this sayin she was the one that brought me over there," McGee said angrily as he left the courthouse.