Hamilton County Sheriff's Office / Jennifer Lee FrazierA Hamilton County Sheriff's Office affidavit details how inmates Van William Atkins III, Johnny Bryant, Justin Lynn Conner and Trevor Lynn Hall managed to escape from Silverdale jail the morning of July 23, allegedly with the assistance of Conner's girlfriend.
Jennifer Lee Frazier, 39, was arrested Saturday. She is accused of agreeing to help her boyfriend and three others escape and lying to investigators about her involvement.
"Several phone calls and messages were recovered during the investigation," the affidavit said. "Jennifer was interviewed in reference to Justin Conner. She denied any involvement."
The affidavit also said Frazier agreed to assist Conner in escaping Silverdale and avoid apprehension during phone conversations and messages exchanged by the two.
Frazier was then arrested "based on the messages and recorded phone calls and her admitting to her lying on body camera," the affidavit said.
Conner was found by police at the 3200 block of Dodson Avenue, according to the affidavit, where "he was provided clothes, food and a ride."
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The announcement of the escape was made in a news release by the Sheriff's Office.
"At approximately 5:30 a.m., Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Corrections Services personnel found that four inmates in a minimum security housing unit at the Silverdale Detention Center were missing during headcount," J. Matt Lea, the office's spokesperson said in the news release. "The facility was immediately placed on lockdown, and an investigation revealed the four inmates breached an exterior door and scaled the perimeter barbed wire fence."
According to Lea, two of the four inmates - Atkins and Bryant - were captured at a motel off McCutcheon Road within hours of their escape. The other two - Conner and Hall - remained at large until that evening.
"Justin Lynn Conner was taken into custody in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, by Hamilton County Sheriff's Office personnel," Lea said in a news release. "Trevor Lynn Hall was taken into custody in Jackson County, Tennessee, by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with HCSO fugitive personnel."
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Hamilton County Criminal Court records show that Atkins, 29, has a criminal history dating back to 2011. It includes convictions for aggravated assault and domestic assault. Bryant, 33, has a criminal record that began early this year and includes convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest in May.
Conner, 37, has a criminal history dating back to 2006. It includes convictions for assault on police, burglary and domestic assault, according to court records. Hall, 32, has a criminal record that dates back to 2021. It includes convictions for leaving the scene of an accident and possession of a controlled substance.
Atkins, Bryant, Conner and Hall are scheduled to appear before Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Lila Statom on felony escape charges on July 28.
Frazier was arrested and charged with one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of accessory after the fact. She is being held at the Silverdale Detention Center on a total bond of $20,000.
Frazier was assigned a public defender by the magistrate at the time of her booking. Attempts made to obtain a comment from the attorney assigned to her case by the Chattanooga Times Free Press were unsuccessful.
Frazier is also due to appear before Statom on July 28.
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.