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Inmate escapes from jail

The first to slither from the minimum security area has a lengthy rap sheet.

By THOMAS LAKE
Published November 15, 2006

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Carrie Pratt] Deputies Jason Marques, left, and Anthony Owen stand on the lookout at State Road 52 and U.S. 41 on Tuesday after the escape from the Land O'Lakes jail. Rory McGrory is the first inmate in five years to escape from the Land O'Lakes jail.

LAND O'LAKES - Two thin barriers separate the inmates from freedom at the county jail's Minimum Security Annex. One is canvas, the other chain-link. Before dawn Tuesday, a violent criminal got past both.

He went north through the woods, leaving a scent trail that was later tracked by helicopters and men with guns and a bloodhound named Copper. No luck. The trail had gone cold.

Authorities took down the perimeter about 1 p.m. They said they believed Rory McGrory, a 43-year-old facing charges of burglary, grand theft auto and fleeing to elude, had hitched a ride out of town. In so doing, he ended several long-running incarceration streaks.

He became the first inmate in five years to escape from the Land O'Lakes jail, according to sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin - and the first in even longer to leave and stay gone for any length of time. He is the first escapee in the seven-year history of the Minimum Security Annex.

The white tent sits just north of the jail complex. Seen from above, it looks like a giant egg. Its more than 90 residents are generally thought to be less violent and more trustworthy than their counterparts in the concrete block fortress.

It was unclear Tuesday why McGrory was placed there. His jail records were not released. But his Florida rap sheet includes nearly 30 arrests since 1981, including burglary, aggravated battery and carrying a concealed weapon. In 1997, he was convicted of battery on a law enforcement officer.

McGrory was present during bed checks at 11 p.m. Monday. When deputies checked his bed again at 6 a.m., he was gone. They found a breach in the canvas.

Outside, the fence is a few feet away. Razor wire runs along the top. It appears McGrory dug a hole and crawled underneath.

It was not known what he used to cut or to dig.

Tobin said McGrory didn't leave a tool behind.

There was a manhunt and a warning to nearby residents using reverse 911.

There was talk of changing the rules on who qualifies for minimum security.

There was a deputy standing at State Road 52 and U.S. 41 pointing a black rifle toward the sky.

Tobin said it had been several years since McGrory's last violent offense. Nevertheless, he warned the locals not to get too close.

Times researcher Angie Drobnic Holan contributed to this report. Thomas Lake can be reached at tlake@sptimes.com or 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6245.

[Last modified November 14, 2006, 23:27:11]