Escaped detainee tied to fatal carjacking likely dead after shootout with Mississippi deputies

One of four detainees who escaped from a Mississippi jail over the weekend is believed to be dead after a shootout with law enforcement Wednesday, while the whereabouts of the other escapees are currently unknown, authorities said.

The suspected deceased detainee, identified as 22-year-old Dylan Arrington, was also believed to be tied to a fatal carjacking in Jackson on Monday — two days after the breach at the Raymond Detention Center in Hinds County, authorities said.

Law enforcement received reports of possible sightings of Arrington in Leake County Tuesday night, according to Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones. A search led them to a home in Carthage Wednesday morning, where an individual had barricaded himself inside and “somewhere along the way, the residence was engulfed in flames,” Jones told Jackson ABC affiliate WAPT.

The individual fired at law enforcement, striking a Leake County sheriff’s deputy, who is in stable condition, authorities said.

After an exchange of gunfire, the individual was determined to be dead inside the home, Jones said. Authorities are unable to positively identify him at this time, but “we have a pretty strong feeling that it is [Arrington] inside of this residence, that he is deceased,” Jones said.

The remains will be sent to a crime lab for identification, the Leake County sheriff said.

The resident of the home had fled upon returning to the home Wednesday morning after reportedly seeing the individual believed to be Arrington inside, Jones said.

Arrington and three other men escaped through the roof of the Raymond Detention Center Saturday night and were discovered missing early Sunday following a headcount, according to Jones. The men were pretrial detainees, meaning they were being held in prison while awaiting trial.

Arrington, who was charged with auto theft and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, had been in the detention center since April 13, according to the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office.

The other escaped detainees were identified by the sheriff’s office as Casey Grayson, 24, who had been detained since mid-February and was charged with the sale of a controlled substance and grand larceny; Corey Harrison, 22, who was charged with receiving stolen property and had been detained since April 7; and Jerry Raynes, 51, who was charged with auto theft and business burglary. Raynes had been in the facility since January 2022 and has a history of escaping pretrial detention facilities, according to Jones.

A Hinds County public works pickup truck that was reported stolen amid the breach is believed to have been used in the escape, Jones said. The pickup truck was seen Saturday night crashing through a gate in Hinds County before later being found abandoned Sunday afternoon in Spring Valley, Texas, the sheriff said.

The Hinds County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance footage that it said shows Raynes at a service station in Spring Valley Sunday morning.

“It is still unconfirmed if Raynes traveled to Texas alone,” Jones tweeted.

On Monday, amid the search for the detainees, a man was killed during a carjacking that authorities suspect involved Arrington. The victim — identified as the Rev. Anthony Watts — was believed to have pulled over to help after someone crashed a motorcycle before he was fatally shot, authorities said.

“My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family of Rev. Watts,” Jones told WAPT. “As I understand, he was there to help an individual and obviously this individual was involved in criminal activity and behavior, and tragically his life was taken.”

The sheriff said his office is “aggressively” looking for the other escapees, and that most were believed to be in the central Mississippi area.

Last year, a federal judge seized control of the Raymond Detention Center due to allegations of mismanagement. A takeover of the jail was suspended following an appeal.

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.