Authorities believe five escaped inmates are no longer in the area, rewards issued by US Marshals Office

By Kevin Jenkins | January 18, 2023 |

Five inmates, including three who are classified as sexual predators, escaped Tuesday evening from the St. Francois County Jail where about 160 inmates are housed.

According to a press release, “five inmates were discovered missing” from the jail at the 10 p.m. count.

The inmates are identified as Lujuan Tucker, 37; Kelly McSean, 52; Aaron Sebastian, 30; Dakota Pace, 26; and Michael Wilkins, 40.

Court documents allege at about 7 p.m. the inmates “utilized Cell D-1” where a sink was pulled from a wall. The inmates crawled through a void behind the sink, entered a closet on the roof and forced entry through the closet door to the outside.

Sources say the jail cameras that would have captured video of the escape were down due to the construction projects being done at the jail.

Within 15 minutes of the escape, they walked to Centene Corporation on Air Park Drive in the Farmington Industrial Park nearby, where inmates rummaged through a vehicle and then stole a 2009 Toyota Scion TC in the secured lot. All five inmates fled in the vehicle.

“The inmates made their way to the Centene Corporation (in the Farmington Industrial Park) within 15 minutes, entered through the secured parking lot and stole a grey 2009 Scion TC with Missouri temporary tags,” the department shared on Facebook. “All inmates left in the stolen vehicle and were last seen on camera traveling in a southerly direction.

“All inmates discarded their orange clothing and were seen on camera wearing white thermal leggings, white boxer and/or basketball shorts and white t-shirts. Tucker was wearing a black t-shirt.”

North County School District placed students on a soft lockdown late Wednesday afternoon “due to a report of a sighting of one of the escaped inmates.”

Authorities did not confirm any such sighting.

Chief Deputy Greg Armstrong said, “We are relatively certain they’ve left the area.”

Lujuan Tucker

Kelly McSean, also known as Larry Bemboom

Aaron Sebastian

Michael Wilkins

Dakota Pace

The public should not approach or contact these individuals. If spotted, call 911 or your local police department. You can report any information to the U.S. Marshals by calling 1-877-WANTED2 or usmarshals.gov/tips.

Sexual predatorsTucker, McSean and Sebastian were being housed in the jail after allegedly committing offenses at the Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services (SORTS) facility in Farmington where they had been in custody as sexual predators. The U.S. Marshals Office has issued a $5,000 reward for each of them.

Authorties said Tucker was in custody for a third-degree assault charge. He was previously charged with raping a 12-year-old girl in St. Louis County.

Documents further state McSean, also known as Larry Bemboom, was being held in the jail on charges of committing violence against Department of Mental Health employees, and endangering an employee through contact with bodily fluid. McSean was in SORTS for the sexual assault of a 39-year-old woman in Boone County. Information from the sheriff’s department states McSean identifies as a woman but the U.S. Marshals Office identifies McSean as a male.

Sebastian was in custody for an assault charge. He was in SORTS for two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy involving females under the age of 10.

Other inmatesThe U.S. Marshal’s Office has issued $2,500 rewards for Pace and Wilkins.

Pace, whose last known address is Park Hills, has a lengthy list of pending felony charges in St. Francois County including trafficking of stolen identities, property damage, resisting arrest, stealing and tampering with a motor vehicle.

Wilkins was in jail for a charge of burglary.

All five were charged Wednesday morning with the Class E felony of escape from confinement. The charge carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.