TOP 10 ALERT UPDATE: Wanted fugitive Joel Blanton is in custody, after being captured this evening in Warren County!
— TBI (@TBInvestigation) June 26, 2018
Thank you for helping us to spread the word! pic.twitter.com/ANbVe58wU2
UPDATE at 8:07 p.m. on Monday, June 25, 2018: Blanton has been arrested in Warren County, according to a tweet from the TBI.
Joel Ernest Blanton
A tattoo on Joel Ernest Blanton’s left handORIGINAL STORY: The TBI has added to its top 10 most wanted list a convicted child rapist who escaped from the Van Buren County jail early Monday morning.
A tattoo on Joel Ernest Blanton’s lower left armJoel Ernest Blanton, 37, escaped from the jail around 1 a.m, two days before a scheduled sentencing hearing. He is a 5’11 white male and weighs approximately 236 pounds.
In April, Blanton was found guilty on four counts of child rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. There is a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to his arrest and anyone who sees Blanton should contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.