9News has learned from the Nebraska State Patrol that three inmates who escaped an Indiana prison and severely beat three Tri-State men, have been apprehended northwest of the city of North Platte in western Nebraska.
It happened around 8 p.m. Thursday night in the town of Alliance, Neb., after a mechanic alerted police.
Last Friday Bobby Cockerell, 31, Christopher Marshall, 49, and Jerry Sargent, 59, escaped from the Branchville Correctional Facility near Tell City, Indiana.
Police had considered all three men armed and dangerous.
One of the escapees, Jerry Sargent, has relatives in Northern Kentucky and police had warned that he and the other inmates might show up in the area.
On Monday the escaped inmates assaulted three brothers in Carroll County, Ky. and stole their pick-up truck.
Sargent's relatives were forced to take up temporary residence at undisclosed locations this week, while residents in several Northern Kentucky counties were told to be on alert and lock their doors.
It didn't take long for the news of their capture to spread.
"Well, yeah, I'm relieved," said Randy Moore, a Grant County resident. "Don't have to worry about my girlfriend or my kids, or anything like that."
"It's a really good thing," said Randy Traylor, also of Grant County. "I mean everybody's probably relieved 'bigtime' around here. Everybody was worried about it, so, really relieved."
"I guess it's good they caught them," said James Grider, of Grant Co. "No telling where they went, so ending up in Nebraska, that's pretty wild."
"Well, I'm glad, " added Grant County resident Loretta Labarca. "I'm finally can keep my doors open!"
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