Williamsville man tracked down after escaping from Wayne County Jail

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Williamsville, Missouri, man is back behind bars after allegedly escaping early Wednesday morning from the Wayne County Jail.

Donald Wayne Sanders had been "causing problems in the jail," explained Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch.

"He was placed in a restraint chair and sat in the hallway," Finch said. "[He] managed to get out of the restraint chair and ultimately out the back door without the jailer seeing him."

Finch said he was notified at 3:19 a.m. of the 56-year-old's alleged escape, which had been discovered by jail personnel within minutes of Sanders' alleged fleeing.

Upon learning of Sanders' escape, Finch said, additional deputies were called in and assistance was requested from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Greenville Police Department and the Missouri Department of Corrections' bloodhounds from Farmington, Missouri.

Sanders, Finch said, is accused of stealing a vehicle from a home south of Greenville after his alleged escape.

"We located the car a little after 7 this morning, sitting down at the Old Greenville creek area," Finch said. "The car was still running, and no one was in it."

Officers, he said, had been running the roads and checking the area.

Finch said he arrived about 7:25 a.m. and saw a subject, later identified as Sanders, "walking toward the woods, underneath the Highway 67/St. Francis River bridge.

"I called for backup, and [he] was located in the river a short time later."

The bloodhounds, Finch said, were on the scene, but had not been deployed when Sanders was found.

Finch said Sanders had been in his jail since June 2, having been arrested in Butler County on Wayne County charges of stealing a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. He was being held on $10,500 cash bond.

"He's been a problem ever since he's been here," Finch said.

Sanders, the sheriff said, may face additional charges of escape from custody, stealing a motor vehicle and tampering with a motor vehicle.

"I can assure you that steps are being taken that this does not happen again," Finch said.