Two capital murderers have escaped from a Mississippi prison, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). Officials say that Gregory Malone, 26, and Christopher Roy, 24, were discovered missing at 12:50 a.m. on Monday. Both men were facing life sentences. Malone was convicted of murder in 2001, and Roy was convicted of a 1999 murder.

The two inmates were being held at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, which houses inmates with mental problems. Officers say that disciplinary action might be taken against prison staff at the facility, because inmate head counts were not taken accurately. Officials are also questioning a former inmate of the facility, who is believed to have helped the two men escape.

Authorities added that someone had taken a hacksaw to the prison bars, sawing them off to help the two inmates escape.