Two escaped Putnam County inmates were taken into custody after a dramatic chase, crash and manhunt overnight.
The inmates were captured after a crash at the Lebanon Town Square early Friday morning after escaping from a work crew north of Cookeville.
Officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol confirmed the two women picked up 23-year-old Jordan Bradley Langford of Sparta and 21-year-old Michael Wayne Flanigan Jr. of Cookeville from their work crew assignment.
They apparently made arrangements with the women to plan their escape. Those conversations were recorded on a jail phone line.
Deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office attached to the U.S. Marshals Service were searchin for the vehicle, pinging one of the women's cell phones.
The Sheriff's Office contacted the Lebanon Police Department to let them know the inmates and women were possibly in the area.
Officials said after searching several locations, around 2:20 a.m. Friday the vehicle was spotted near Walmart on S. Cumberland Street.
After a short vehicle pursuit, the vehicle crashed into the front entrance of Poppies Boutiqueat the Lebanon town square.
Tire marks were visible on the road and curb, leading to a building where the vehicle came to a stop.
Langford and Flanigan got out from the back seat and ran but were captured with the help of K-9 unites about a block away.
One of them was taken immediately into booking at the Wilson County Jail, while the other was transported to the hospital.
The inmates were not considered armed and dangerous. Langford was serving time for probation violation. Flanigan was in custody on two counts of probation violation, criminal impersonation, assault, general sessions capias, and driving on a revoked license.
The two men faced additional charges from their escape attempt and for evading police.
The women were taken into custody and charged with abetting escapees. They were identified as 20-year-old Malea Green-Paciiunas and 23-year-old Edna Knight, both from Baxter.
Green-Paciunas was reportedly the driver.
The Wilson County Sheriff's Office and Tennessee Highway Patrol assisted in the incident.
