Three Inmates Attack Jailers In Botched Jennings Co. Jail Break

Joe Hornaday

Three guards at the Jennings County Jail were seriously injured and taken hostage early Tuesday morning in a rampage that escalated into an attempted jail break.

On Sept. 17, the Greensburg Daily News reported the arrest of 17-year-old Ryan T. Renfroe, a Columbus resident. He was charged in a double murder that took place in Jennings County. According to a press release from the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, he was one of the three men that led the ill-fated escape.

During their attempted breakout at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, the three teenaged inmates - 19-year-old Ryan Lee Bushhorn, 17-year-old James A. Smith and Renfroe - managed to pilfer some pepper spray from a jail storage cabinet and make “shanks,” a common term for a device used for stabbing that is not usually a weapon, out of available metal coat hangers that are used in the Jennings County Jail’s laundry room, according to the JCSD.

With their weapons in hand and their plan in motion, the three inmates employed the pepper spray and stabbed the officers with the shanks. Jail officer Walter Peace was handcuffed and stabbed in the head by Smith, resulting in a charge of attempted murder, a Class A Felony. Peace was flown via helicopter to Indianapolis for treatment. Another guard, Vickie Day, was taken to a nearby hospital, while the third guard, Shawn McDaniel, was also moved for medical treatment and released shortly thereafter.

But being stabbed wasn’t the end for the three guards. The inmates tried to use the handcuffed jailers as hostages and shields to successfully get out of the jail. Their plan did not work.

The Indiana State Police, the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department and the North Vernon Police Department responded and stormed the jail, entering the hallway where the inmates quickly found themselves trapped. Without any other options, law enforcers grabbed their weapons and “fired their Tasers” and hit the three inmates to shock and stop the escape and save the jail officers, according to the JCSD.

Two of the inmates involved, Renfroe and Bushhorn, now face kidnapping and criminal confinement charges due to their treatment of the jail officers, while Smith faces an additional charge of attempted murder. At this time, investigators are interviewing officers and witnesses. Prosecutor Alan Marshal was at the jail during the investigation and listed several charges for the three inmates involved. All three inmates have been moved temporarily as officers complete their investigation.

James A. Smith was already being held in jail on charges of robbery, aiding and inducing a crime and criminal confinement. After the breakout attempt, he is now facing attempted murder charges for stabbing the guard in the head; three counts of kidnapping; three counts of criminal confinement; attempted escape with a deadly weapon and attempted escape with serious bodily injury.

Ryan Renfroe was already being held in the Jennings County Jail on two counts of murder in Jennings County and robbery. He is now facing felony kidnapping charges; three counts of criminal confinement; attempted escape with a deadly weapon and attempted escape with serious bodily injury.

Roger Lee Bushhorn was being held in Jennings County for the Department of Corrections for Decatur County. He is now being charged with kidnapping; criminal confinement; attempted escape with a deadly weapon and attempted escape with serious bodily injury.

Currently, there are no plans for the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department (DCSD) or the Decatur County Jail staff to get involved and help out the Jennings County Jail. However, Chief Deputy Darin Lucas said that if they called for help, Decatur County would assist. Many of the guards at the Jennings County Jail had attented “jail school,” a program offered by the DCSD. Lucas also reported that some of the inmates involved in the Jennings County breakout had been inmates of the Decatur County Jail at various times.

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