A Starkville woman arrested for aiding a prisoner escape custody is awaiting a bond hearing in Pearl River County Jail.
Mary Virginia “Jenna” Rhea, originally of Columbus, was arrested Feb. 8 by Bogalusa, La., police after helping boyfriend Johnny Hall escape two Mississippi Department of Corrections officers at his father’s wake in Picayune.
Rhea was extradited from Bogalusa to Pearl River County Jail on Friday, Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper said. She faces a charge of aiding and abetting the escape of a prison inmate.
Hall is back in the custody of the MDOC. Hall had been serving a 17-year sentence for three burglary convictions from Pearl River County. He faces an additional five-year sentence if convicted of escape.
Hall originally escaped from MDOC officers and got into a black 2002 Honda Accord with Rhea, who was waiting outside the funeral home.
Hall and Rhea then led police on a 26-mile chase from Picayune to Bogalusa, where police had a roadblock set up on Highway 10 at the state line, Culpepper said.
Purvis police were also in pursuit when Rhea and Hall ran into a ditch. Rhea stayed in the car while Hall fled into a wooded area nearby. Hall was captured approximately 10 minutes later after his path through the woods led him to a river.
Culpepper said a .22-caliber pistol was recovered from the vehicle.
Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison said Rhea’s vehicle was towed to a secure location in Bogalusa and remains there.
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