Escaped Ohio convict found dead in Kentucky: Police

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HENDERSON, Kentucky (WCMH) – The body of a convicted murderer who escaped from custody last week has been found in the Ohio River, according to Kentucky police officials.

The Henderson Police Department in Henderson, Kentucky, said during a press conference Sunday that the body of Bradley Gillespie, 50, was found floating in the river by a boater.

"A preliminary investigation reveals that we recovered the body of Bradley Gillespie from the river," Henderson Chief of Police Sean McKinney said.

Gillespie, 50, and James Lee, 47, were reported missing Tuesday from the Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution near Lima, Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Officials said the two men snuck out of the prison by hiding in a dumpster Monday night.

On Wednesday, Henderson police officers spotted a suspected stolen car. Officers attempted to pull the car over, but the two men fled. A pursuit ensued, with the stolen car crashing and both inmates running from the scene. Lee was caught, but Gillespie managed to escape.

McKinney said Gillespie's body was found not far from where he was last seen after the pursuit.

Gillespie was serving a sentence of 15 years to life after being convicted of killing Frank Tracy Jr. and Hannah A. Fisher in February 2016 in Paulding County, according to online court records.

Lee, 47, was imprisoned in 2021 for burglary and safecracking.

A major and three corrections officers at the Lima prison are on paid administrative leave as a result of the escape, officials said, with more employees facing disciplinary action as the investigation into what happened continues.

An autopsy for Gillespie is set for Tuesday.