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| Ohio rape suspect escapes |
| By The Cleveland Plain Dealer |
| Published: 11/18/2003 |
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A rape suspect scaled a 20-foot brick wall and escaped from the Geauga County Jail while unsupervised yesterday morning, launching an area-wide manhunt that extended into the night. Joseph E. Dowling, 38, of Cleveland, fled into nearby woods before stealing a carpet installer's van parked at a nearby residence, Geauga Sheriff Dan McClelland said. Police found the vehicle last night in Cleveland. Dowling, a convicted felon, should be considered dangerous, officials said. The escape occurred about 9:25 a.m. while Dowling was in an outdoor area that inmates use for recreation. At least two other inmates hoisted Dowling up to a concrete windowsill on the jail's exterior wall, McClelland said. Dowling then climbed to the roofline and pushed through razor wire. Once on the roof, Dowling ran to the front of the building and jumped down. He took off across the two-lane highway and disappeared into the woods around a residential neighborhood, where he found a van with the keys in it and drove off. A trail of blood marked Dowling's path. Investigators believe Dowling sliced his forearms on the razor wire. Inadequate staffing at the jail contributed to the escape, McClelland said. Three corrections officers had to supervise four inmate areas when Dowling climbed to freedom, McClelland said. It's a common problem, too: A lean county budget left money for only 19 corrections officers, eight fewer than the state recommends for the jail. The outdated jail's poor design also contributed to the escape, McClelland said. Geauga is preparing to break ground on a new jail and sheriff's complex next spring. The $15 million project is targeted for completion in the fall of 2005. Dowling had been in Geauga's jail since Oct. 31, when Chester Township police arrested him after a 32-year-old woman accused him of rape. Dowling told officers the sex was consensual, said Police Chief Joe Orosz. The arrest came 15 days after Dowling left state prison. He was paroled on Oct. 16 after serving 11 years for felonious assault, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Web page. Dowling spent four years in prison after being convicted of rape in 1984. |
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