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http://nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte/art...1cc4c03286.html

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. | Two convicted killers and a third man have escaped the maximum-security Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, and authorities say all three men should be considered dangerous.

Prison officials say the men were found missing about 10 a.m. CDT Sunday. Officers from the Indiana State Police and other agencies have concentrated their search in neighborhoods surrounding the prison.

They say the escapees include two New Castle men convicted of murder: Charles Smith and Mark Booher. The third escapee is convicted rapist Lance Battreal of Rockport. All three are white men in their 40s.

Authorities say it appears the three escaped by getting past bars in the tunnels and pipe chases under the grounds of the prison about 30 miles west of South Bend.

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http://nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte/art...html?mode=story


with images of the three now.

MICHIGAN CITY | State and local police agencies are looking for thee downstate men who escaped Sunday morning from the Indiana State Prison.

Authorities are looking for Lance Battreal, 45, of Rockport, Ind., along with Charles Smith, 48, and Mark Booher, 46, both of New Castle, Ind. They were serving lengthy sentences for rape and murder.

Indiana State Prison, a maximum security institution near the shore of Lake Michigan, issued a news release stating staff discovered the three missing from their housing units at 10 a.m.

The staff put the prison on lockdown and sent out emergency notices to all those registered with the Indiana Department of Corrections ALERT phone notification system.

The prison staff, state police, the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies are searching Michigan City and surrounding communities.

Prison officials said the three men apparently broke through the barred entrance of a tunnel or recesses in walls for pipes running beneath prison grounds.

Police said Battreal and Smith might recently have cut their hair or shaved their heads.

Police said Battreal was serving a 50-year sentence for rape, confinement and stalking. Smith was serving a 95-year sentence for murder. He has a tattoo of a scorpion on his right hand and a cross with dots on his left hand.

Booher was serving an 85-year sentenced for murder.

Police ask anyone with information regarding these convicts to notify their local law enforcement agency. All three men are considered dangerous.

[eric.hanke]

You would think our "local" newspaper would have a huge bulletin online with pictures, names, etc. Guess I am just dreaming.

The days of the local paper are over. Anyone who purchases the News "Disgrace" is just getting something worthy of starting a nice camp fire.

What a piece of crap!

[lighter]

You would think our "local" newspaper would have a huge bulletin online with pictures, names, etc. Guess I am just dreaming.

The days of the local paper are over. Anyone who purchases the News "Disgrace" is just getting something worthy of starting a nice camp fire.

What a piece of crap!

If you google Lance Battreal right now, this story shows up on 83 other internet web sites.

MSNBC. Concord Monitor (in Mass?) and a bunch of other.

All the local Televsion and internet web sites, too. WSBT, WNDU, Southbendtribune, Post Tribune, NWI, chicagotribune.

But nothing here in La Porte County except citybythelake.

[JHeath]

...But nothing here in La Porte County except citybythelake.

Then I'm glad it's here for everyone. Thanks, S'sider!

[IndyTransplant]

I have gotten 3 citizen alerts on email today and info from the Yahoo Michigan City news on the internet, but nothing around here. I wonder how long it will take to find out what happened at the beach tonight during the fireworks.

[Tom Burns]

If you google Lance Battreal right now, this story shows up on 83 other internet web sites.

MSNBC. Concord Monitor (in Mass?) and a bunch of other.

All the local Televsion and internet web sites, too. WSBT, WNDU, Southbendtribune, Post Tribune, NWI, chicagotribune.

But nothing here in La Porte County except citybythelake.

WEFM had immediate coverage.

[CaddyRich]

GRAND BEACH, Mich. | One of the three men who escaped from the Indiana State Prison has been caught in a southwestern Michigan town by a security guard for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

Grand Beach Police Chief Dan Schroeder says two of the inmates were spotted in the town and one was caught Monday morning and is in custody. Schroeder says the inmate identified himself as Charles Smith, who was convicted of murder.

He says a Grand Beach police officer got a call Monday that a private security guard for Daley was holding the inmate at gunpoint in a home's driveway near the mayor's house in Grand Beach, which is about eight miles from the prison.

Schroeder did not have any further information about the capture.

Authorities were still searching for the two other inmates.


Sure is nice to have a newspaper available...www.nwitimes.com

[lighter]

Here is a little prediction i'd be willining to make.

About 10 or 11 this morning, the N-dispatch site and the H-argus site will announce 3 have escaped. It'll be yesterday's news.

Doesn't this propblem start at the very top of the local paper(s)? Seemed like, if i remember right, they'd put up breaking news a year or three ago. why would they stop on something like this? Seems irrespondible to your public.

May be they can make the sports editor the "executive editor in chief." i've heard he's really good and his writing is always easy to read. Send the la porte guys back to la porte.

[CaddyRich]

Several weeks ago, there was a post asking opinions on the "5 biggest issues facing Michigan City". I'm actually surprised that the lack of a good news gathering, insightful newspaper did not come up. This situation is a prime example of this problem. I realize that I'm a little off topic here, but the fact still stands (unfortunately) that you still have to look elsewhere for actual news (not just the regurgitating of press releases) concerning Our Fair City.

[Southsider2k12]

GRAND BEACH, Mich. | One of the three men who escaped from the Indiana State Prison has been caught in a southwestern Michigan town by a security guard for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

Grand Beach Police Chief Dan Schroeder says two of the inmates were spotted in the town and one was caught Monday morning and is in custody. Schroeder says the inmate identified himself as Charles Smith, who was convicted of murder.

He says a Grand Beach police officer got a call Monday that a private security guard for Daley was holding the inmate at gunpoint in a home's driveway near the mayor's house in Grand Beach, which is about eight miles from the prison.

Schroeder did not have any further information about the capture.

Authorities were still searching for the two other inmates.
Sure is nice to have a newspaper available...www.nwitimes.com

Having met Da Mare and his security guard on a few occasions, I wouldn't mess with the guy. That guard is a pretty tough dude.

[lighter]

maybe the n-Dispatch should just take down their internet web site. If they don't want to use it for news, at least. I'd be embarrassed to work there and have "A buyers market" about real estate on the site as the frist story for going on 14 hours after 2 murdereres and a rapist escaped from the prison.

[IndyTransplant]

Several weeks ago, there was a post asking opinions on the "5 biggest issues facing Michigan City". I'm actually surprised that the lack of a good news gathering, insightful newspaper did not come up. This situation is a prime example of this problem. I realize that I'm a little off topic here, but the fact still stands (unfortunately) that you still have to look elsewhere for actual news (not just the regurgitating of press releases) concerning Our Fair City.

I am in total agreement. That is a huge issue and one I do not understand. A city of this size with 2 radio stations and a supposed daily newspaper with a web presence should be able to receive real news in a timely manner. I do not understand having a web presence if it is not used for updates prior to the newspaper being printed. Most other papers and tv stations use the web presence for that purpose.

Here is another example. Something happened on the beach last night around 9:30 during the fireworks (I do not know what, even though I listened to the radio stations last night and this morning and know better than to check the ND until the end of the week at the earliest). There were rumors of a shooting (still not confirmed or repudiated) and suddenly people across the beach from us toward the parking lot started running away like crazy (dozens of them). Then police arrive from all directions including the ATVs across the beach, the boat and police cars and ambulance. This was approximately ten minutes or so (a guess as I had no watch on) before the ending of the fireworks. We were sitting across the beach to the east on the side of the dunes. When we left we steered clear of that area of the beach and still do not know what happened. Between the prison break and this I would like to have access to more timely news.

Coming from Indianapolis with 4 local tv stations and a good newspaper plus many local neighborhood papers, this lack of timely news has been a bit of a shock to me. The Indianapolis Star website and the Indianapolis tv stations websites had the prison break yesterday and already the capture today. I have joked since I moved here that I have to get Michigan City news from Indianapolis...but it is sadly true and not funny.

[CaddyRich]

Here is a little prediction i'd be willining to make.

About 10 or 11 this morning, the N-dispatch site and the H-argus site will announce 3 have escaped. It'll be yesterday's news.

Doesn't this propblem start at the very top of the local paper(s)? Seemed like, if i remember right, they'd put up breaking news a year or three ago. why would they stop on something like this? Seems irrespondible to your public.

May be they can make the sports editor the "executive editor in chief." i've heard he's really good and his writing is always easy to read. Send the la porte guys back to la porte.

Ding Ding Ding!!! Give the man a cigar! It's on the N-D site.

[eric.hanke]

Ding Ding Ding!!! Give the man a cigar! It's on the N-D site.

The N-D should put yesterday's date on the story.

[lighter]

wow. they didn't even send a reporter to talk to nearby homeowners or to the beach party last night to ask people about their reactions to this story?

wow.

i understand why chicago or south bend didn't do that. but how far is the news-d from the prison? 10 minutes?

wow.

along with the rda referendum later this year, can we have a referendum on canning whoever is in charge over there? seems like since the herald-argus people took over, a newspaper that was faultering has driven off the cliff.

[Tom Burns]

Several weeks ago, there was a post asking opinions on the "5 biggest issues facing Michigan City". I'm actually surprised that the lack of a good news gathering, insightful newspaper did not come up. This situation is a prime example of this problem. I realize that I'm a little off topic here, but the fact still stands (unfortunately) that you still have to look elsewhere for actual news (not just the regurgitating of press releases) concerning Our Fair City.

Answers to the question I posted asking about the five biggest issues were part of the process used by WEFM to gather information about local needs for our quarterly FCC report. We consider that as a cross section of the community. Some time ago we sought from City by the Lake permission to do this. No responders were identified as we earlier agreed.

The shrinkage of the local newspaper is an industry trend as noted earlier but also misidentification by management a quarter century ago in tyng itself to the old establishment and failing to recognize what newer people were (and do) contribute to the community. One classic article then served as an instruction piece to newer people in the history and culture of the community as the paper attempted to propagate the past and not recognize the future. I don't think it is fair to the present newspaper management to give them responsibility for the errors in judgment of earlier management there, steering the newspaper off track. Had City by the Lake existed then, it would have been considered heresy.

[IndyTransplant]

Answers to the question I posted asking about the five biggest issues were part of the process used by WEFM to gather information about local needs for our quarterly FCC report. We consider that as a cross section of the community. Some time ago we sought from City by the Lake permission to do this. No responders were identified as we earlier agreed.

The shrinkage of the local newspaper is an industry trend as noted earlier but also misidentification by management a quarter century ago in tyng itself to the old establishment and failing to recognize what newer people were (and do) contribute to the community. One classic article then served as an instruction piece to newer people in the history and culture of the community as the paper attempted to propagate the past and not recognize the future. I don't think it is fair to the present newspaper management to give them responsibility for the errors in judgment of earlier management there, steering the newspaper off track. Had City by the Lake existed then, it would have been considered heresy.

The only problem with your excuses for them is that it is the current management of ND that does not understand or utilize the purpose of a web presence. As stated earlier the NWI Times and Indy Star and of course CBTL gets current news out much faster than they do.

[eric.hanke]

It is also worth noting that the ND does not have photos posted online.

[CaddyRich]

Just to be fair, I checked out other papers in the Paxton Media galaxy. I went down the line...Connersville News-Examiner...Frankfort Times...LaPorte Herald-Argus...etc, etc...expecting either no coverage or the same day old news the N-D had. Then "bingo" - what should my eyes see but the lead story - One Escapee Caught - Another Spotted...In of all papers the New Castle Courier-Times all the way down in New Castle freakin' Indiana! So don't give me excuses about past management/present management. The time for excuses is over. A town like ours that's trying to be so big-time with a paper one step above the old Westville Indicator? Doesn't cut it.