Two Idaho Prisoners Escape In Louisiana State Canceled Jail Contract After Earlier Prison Breaks

Two more Idaho prisoners escaped from the Basile Detention Center, but they were captured Friday night about 50 miles away in Lake Charles.

Idaho prison officials were notified that the men escaped Friday morning by pulling a fence apart and scaling a second fence.

The prisoners were identified as Larry Joe Martin, 38, held after an Ada County conviction for second-degree burglary and an attempted sexual offense, and David Ray Davis, 24, serving time for rape and second-degree kidnapping, also from Ada County.

Richard Wall, warden of the detention center, said the escape occurred between a tower and the laundry, possibly while inmates were returning from breakfast.

Martin and Davis stole a car at Kinder, about 15 miles from Basile and drove 50 miles to Lake Charles, where they were captured about 7:30 p.m. MST, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Department reported.

It was the second escape of Idaho prisoners from the Louisiana facility. In September, five inmates escaped by cutting through two chain-link fences.

Four were recaptured, but Kallahan Lee Ziegler, 24, remains at large. He was serving up to 15 years for a 1993 Kootenai County conviction on a charge of sexual abuse of a minor.

Idaho contracted with Louisiana in June to take up to 300 of its prisoners to relieve overcrowding in the Idaho system.

In October, 100 inmates were sent back to Idaho at the request of Louisiana officials.

Last month, the Idaho Department of Correction notified Louisiana that it was canceling the contract and would take the prisoners back. The transfers are scheduled to be completed by the middle of next month.