“I didn't have anything to do with helping him escape.”
That was Keith McAdoo two months ago, after NewsChannel 3 asked about the day Clancy Starling broke out of the Chesapeake City Jail.
Fast forward to Wednesday’s preliminary hearing--he walked in front of a judge and completely changed his story, turning on the other three inmates also accused in aiding in the June 11th escape.
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“I went and sat along the back of the fence. I was talking to them as they were pulling at the fence, we were talking about getting it open,” said McAdoo.
McAdoo says Thomas Evans and Travis Christian helped Clancy Starling use a bed sheet to pry open the fence prongs in the outdoor recreation area.
He even admitted to getting in on the action himself.
“I took them and popped the prongs all the way off the fence, and that’s when I witnessed Thomas Evans, Mike Darnell, and Travis pulling up the fence,” said McAdoo. “The last thing I saw walking back was Clancy shoot under the fence.”
McAdoo says Clancy escaped without his jail clothes, and Michael Darnell quickly scooped up the evidence.
“Honestly, he was just trying to hide the two piece, he couldn’t just leave it sitting there, or else they would know someone was gone,” said McAdoo. “We went back to the jail pod, and at that point, we wondered if the deputies were going to do the head count and if we were going to get caught right then and there, but they didn't notice.”
Because McAdoo is cooperating with prosecutors, his case was continued until November.
As for the other three inmates, a judge found probable cause for all their cases to go to trial, which will be October 18th.
