Yazoo County sheriff’s office agents with one of the escapees in custody
Update, April 17, 2024: Glen Bassett was recaptured today. Details of his capture will be provided as they become available. All of the escaped Yazoo County inmates are now back in jail.
A dearth of details about prisoners on the run is a recurring problem with local news reports, making it difficult to assess potential risks or the likelihood of an encounter.
Sometimes it’s necessary to tap your own sources, which in this case meant an investigator with the Yazoo County sheriff’s office, to find out more about current Mississippi fugitive Glen Bassett, who escaped the county jail on March 23, 2024, with three other inmates and remains at large. Investigator Terry Gann’s comments are illuminating, as outlined below.
The lead related news story today was the Yazoo County sheriff’s announcement that four guards had been arrested in connection with the escapes. A total of five inmates escaped from the Yazoo County Detential Facility on the same day; one was recaptured almost immediately and three others were subsequently captured in nearby communities, leaving only Bassett still at large.
Mug shot of Bassett
Sheriff Jeremy McCoy did not release the names of the officers allegedly involved in assisting in the escapes, saying the case was still under investigation, but said they include three men and one woman, none of whom are reportedly now employed by the county and all of whom are reportedly in custody at another unnamed facility.
In a separate action, the sheriff announced a reward of up to $1,000 for information about Bassett’s whereabouts and said tips will be kept anonymous and can be submitted by calling 662-746-8477.
As part of a general search, I found a Feb. 21, 2018, report in the Yazoo Herald about a Yazoo City man named Glen Bassett who was arrested for a Humphreys County burglary charge and for possession of a possible stolen gun. Bassett, whose age was given as 35, was charged with burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the latter of which indicates he had been convicted of a previous crime, though it was not described in the article. The newspaper quoted Terry Gann, chief investigator with the Yazoo County sheriff’s office, saying a warrant had been issued for Bassett’s arrest in connection with the Humphreys County burglary.
“He was identified by photographs taken at the property,” Gann told the newspaper. “Deputies spotted him in a vehicle and pulled him over. He was in possession of a .22 rifle with the serial number filed off.” Gann said investigators believed the rifle was stolen because of the filed serial number.
Having previously interviewed Gann for an unrelated story, I phoned to ask what he could tell me about Bassett (at this point I was not aware that Gann had segued from the sheriff’s office to become Yazoo City’s chief of police in September 2023). He said the previous crime in Humphreys County involved “an old woman who lived by herself whose house he broke into and stole the rifle.” He said an undercover agent posed as someone who wanted to buy the firearm, which led to Bassett’s arrest.
“He’s a career thief,” Gann said. “He’s always a suspect when there’s a burglary of a deer camp or a home, or a vehicle theft.” Asked if any of Bassett’s crimes were violent, Gann said, “The one I know of is his last charge of felony evading.”
In the felony evading case, Bassett and another man allegedly stole a vehicle in Bentonia last summer and were later spotted in Clinton, Mississippi, at which point they fled police, Gann said. Bassett was captured after law enforcement agencies spiked his tires and he wrecked his vehicle, he added.
“He was waiting to appear before the judge for his arraignment when he escaped,” Gann said. “He’s going to be tough to catch. He has lots of connections, and like I said he’s a career criminal, old school. He’s in central Mississippi somewhere.”
According to Gann, Bassett is originally from the Bentonia, Mississippi area and was involved in a car theft ring operating in Madison County. He had no details about how the jail staff was allegedly involved in the escapes.
A man named Glen Bassett who has lived in Yazoo City and Bentonia describes himself on his Facebook page as Bandit. There is little activity on the page aside from postings of what are presumably family photos. Most of the page likes involve weed.
Notes
WAPT and WLBT news reports
Interview with Terry Gann
Image: Screencap of video from WAPT on MSN.com; mugshot from Yazoo S.O.
Thanks, Alan. After the horrific details about the "Goon Squad" from Rankin County came out, hearing that more crooked law enforcement employees were involved in this jail escape was especially troubling. I hope that "Bandit" is captured soon!