Escaped inmate Munford captured in Sylacauga

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 1, 2005

An inmate who escaped from the Shelby County Jail Friday morning was back in custody shortly after midday.

Wearing a county-issued yellow jumpsuit and orange jacket, David Elbert Munford walked off from his work detail at the Columbiana facility near 6:30 a.m.

Officials believe Munford, 49, traveled through the woods behind the jail to the Shelby County Board of Education Maintenance Facility on Industrial Parkway, where he stole a white 2005 Ford F-250 and made his getaway.

Munford, whose last known address was in Sylacauga, was captured hours later in Childersburg.

&8220;We followed up on some leads and it was an example of good investigative work by the authorities involved,&8221; said Captain Chris Corbell of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Office investigators, members of the Sylacauga and Childersburg police departments, and officials from the Talladega County Sheriff’s office located Munford and took him into custody after a &8220;short foot pursuit&8221; around 1 p.m.

Munford, who was being held in the Shelby County Jail for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, now faces a $10,000 bond for escapee second degree. He also faces charges related to a hold placed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Corbell said escape attempts by inmates placed on Shelby County’s work detail are rare.

&8220;We try to get guys who are low flight risks,&8221; he said.

The stolen pickup truck was recovered and returned to the Board of Education with no signs of serious damage, Corbell said