Kay County Escapee Captured After 14 Days on the Run

The second of two inmates that escaped the Kay County Oklahoma Jail on June 23 was captured July 7 outside the newspaper office in Ponca City, Oklahoma Monday.

40-year old Darren Dewayne Muegge escaped the jail two times in June.

The first time he was one of three inmates that escaped on June 5 and were arrested on June 7 in a hotel.
Mueggee's 17-year-old daughter rented the room but no charges were brought against her or her teen friend that was found with them.

Muegge then broke out of the jail on June 23 with 18-year-old Terrance Lucas Cottingham.
Cottingham was captured the next day while Muegge remained on the lam and was believed to be in the Wichita, Kansas area.

On July 6, a tipster contacted law enforcement and reported Muegge's daughter was traveling to Tulsa to pick up Muegge and bring him back to Ponca City.
Officials began looking for the vehicle and located it about 8 a.m. in Ponca City.
Muegge was arrested on complaints of escape and drug possession.
The juveniles maybe facing aiding and abetting a fugitive.

Muegge is considered a flight risk.

In addition to the Kay County escapes in June, his criminal history includes charges of escaping the Kay County Jail in 1993, the Delaware County Jail in 1999, and many drug charges.

The Kay County Jail is plaqued with problems and Sheriff Everette Van Hoesen blames those problems for the escapes.
The most notable problem is jail cell doors that do not stay locked.
The county has been battling this problem for years now.

Circuit boards have been replaced, slider locks have been put in place but the doors still malfunction.
Undersheriff Steve Kelley said today that nine circuit boards blew over the weekend and they were only two weeks old.

Sheriff officials hope to place Muegge under lock down in a cell with a locking door and no cell mate.
They are consulting with state officials to verify what measures can be taken to secure his presence in the jail without violating his constitutional rights.
Both of the auxiliary doors that played a role in the escapes have been welded shut with permission from the state fire marshal.
Muegge should appear in district court this week.