Published: October 27, 2009 11:42 pm      

Police still searching for two Mount Olive inmates

Police are still searching for two inmates who escaped from a Mount Olive Correctional Facility minimum security camp late Sunday night.

William Okey Cline, 25, and Kenneth Ray Hager, 30, were discovered missing between 10:30 p.m. and midnight Sunday, during an evening head count.

Although officials are still investigating, at this time, it’s believed that Cline and Hager climbed over a chain-link fence on the premises.

“I’m optimistic that the tide will turn very soon,” said Jim Rubenstein, commissioner for the Division of Corrections, from his Charleston office Tuesday.

Rubenstein has maintained close contact with Mount Olive’s warden since the inmates escaped.

He says the Division of Corrections is working closely with the U.S. Marshals Service and West Virginia State Police.

Authorities are currently checking with the inmates’ families and acquaintances in Boone and Wyoming counties and interviewing inmates who may have spoken with Hager and Cline before they took off.

Officers are also patrolling areas near Mount Olive and reviewing recorded phone calls the inmates made prior to their escape.

Both inmates are described as low-risk and non-violent. Cline was sentenced for daytime burglary in Wyoming County and Hager was serving time for burglary, grand larceny and breaking and entering in Boone County.

“We want to stress to people that these are minimum security inmates and this has nothing to do with the maximum security inmates in the secure perimeter of Mt. Olive,” Rubenstein commented.

Reports have been made that the principal of Valley High School, which is in close proximity to Mount Olive, was disappointed that his school was not notified early Monday that two inmates were on the loose.

Rubenstein says, typically, there’s a call down procedure followed to notify 911 centers and others if an inmate is missing. “I’m not sure what happened there. The warden is checking into it and is also going to talk to the principal to try to alleviate any concerns they might have,” he said.

“We certainly want to alleviate any fears folks may have and take any necessary precautions, which is why we’ve got folks who generally make those necessary calls.”

The principal was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Hager is described as a white male, 6 feet 1 inch tall with brown hair and brown eyes, and weighing 170 pounds. Hager may be identified by numerous skull tattoos on his forearms and/or tattoos of a brick wall on his legs and left hand fingers. He also has a mermaid tattoo on his back torso.

Cline is a 6-foot-1-inch tall white male with brown hair and eyes and weighing 195 pounds. Cline may be identified by a Tazmanian devil tattoo on his left forearm or his “Wyoming County Outlaw” tattoo on his front torso.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the escapees is asked to call State Police or Mount Olive.