MDOC officials have confirmed that an inmate who was incarcerated for setting a woman on fire escaped Central Mississippi Correctional Facility Saturday during visitation, but was recaptured right away.
Samuel Coley, 34, was reportedly caught by one of the guard dogs just yards from the prison fence. He ran out of the building about 11:25 a.m., according to witnesses.
Officials say Coley was transferred to the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility and likely will face an escape charge.
According to MDOC records, Coley is serving 10 years for aggravated assault-domestic violence in Warren County. Sheriff Martin Pace told the media at the time that in August 2022, Coley had poured rubbing alcohol on the woman and set her on fire and she was burned on her shoulders, upper body, and legs.
Coley also made the news in 2013 when officials charged him with attempted bank robbery after they said he had approached two different banks with a shotgun. The gun and a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car were both found at Coley’s home.
He has been in prison since July 2023 and was slated to be released in 2030.
