Escaped NY Prisoners May Be Headed Toward Canada, State Police Say
— -- Escaped convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat may be headed towards Canada, New York State Police Major Charles Guess said today.
Authorities believe the prisoners are still in New York State, but are moving in a north/northwest direction, Guess said, adding that state police are working with Canadian authorities to ensure the escaped convicts do not cross the border.
More than 1,100 law enforcement officers are involved in the search, Guess said.
Evidence was found Thursday at a burglarized cabin in Malone, New York -- about 11 miles south of the border -- according to state police, and preliminary results made police confident the men had been at the cabin and were looking to move north, state police said.
While state police did not elaborate on the evidence, an official briefed on the probe confirmed to ABC News that the evidence found in the cabin is DNA linked to Matt.
Additional evidence was found this morning at a field site in Malone and is being processed, state police said.
There have been no credible sightings of Matt or Sweat so far. New York State is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of either man or $100,000 for both. The U.S. Marshals Service has placed Sweat and Matt on the 15 most wanted fugitives list and is offering a $25,000 reward.
