MARSHALL COUNTY, Kan. – Two escaped inmates are back in custody after setting fire to their cell and forcing their way out of the Marshall County Jail Saturday afternoon.
According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), Jeffrey S. Guenther, 46, and Matson Z. Hatfield, 30, set a fire in their cell and forced their way through the jail after the smoke caused a distraction. The pair were able to grab two shotguns before making it to the parking lot.
While the two inmates were escaping, a civilian county employee’s pickup truck was stolen at gunpoint and shots were fired at a Marysville Fire Department truck. A Marysville Police officer returned fire at Guenther, who was in the truck.
Hatfield ran from the jail on foot to a nearby home. He reportedly fired shots toward a man standing in front of the home.
According to KBI, Hatfield knew the residents of the home. He surrendered to Marysville police a short time later.
Meanwhile, Guenther made it across state lines to Nebraska in the stolen pickup truck while being pursued by police. He crashed the truck in rural Gage County and was taken into custody.
Officials say no one was injured during the escape or the events afterward.
The remaining Marshall County Jail inmates were transported to the Washington County Jail Saturday evening.
No formal charges have been filed at this time. The investigation is ongoing.
