Two felons escaped from Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia on Easter Sunday.
Thus far, only one has been apprehended.
Bryant Wilkerson, 29, fled the psychiatric facility alongside Austin Leigh, 31. Wilkerson remains on the loose and is considered “armed and dangerous.”
The Washington Examiner reports:
“State and local police departments are still actively searching for Wilkerson, and still seeking the public’s assistance in any information leading to his capture,” Virginia State Police Sgt. Michelle Anaya told WTVR.
Wilkerson is facing felony probation charges and a charge for escaping the facility. The method of his and Leigh’s escape is still under investigation, Anaya told the Washington Examiner.
Leigh was apprehended in Chesapeake, Virginia, roughly 60 miles from the mental health facility, and was unaware of Wilkerson’s whereabouts, Virginia state police said. He is being held at the Chesapeake City Jail without bond. He is facing drug-related charges and a charge for escaping the facility.
Eastern State Hospital was built in 1773, was one of the first facilities in the United States dedicated to treating the mentally ill, and remains one of the largest mental health facilities in Virginia.
Defendants are typically interned at mental health institutions when declared unable to stand trial or in need of psychiatric rehabilitation.