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Work Crew Escapee Caught Save Email Print
Posted: 2:48 PM Jul 28, 2008
 Last Updated: 2:56 PM Jul 28, 2008
 Reporter: Bill Wilson
20 comments
A | A | A

An inmate who walked away from a work crew in Washington County is back in custody this afternoon.

The Department of Correction says Leroy Kunclers was apprehended around 2:00 p.m. at the Plymouth Industrial Park.

Kunclers was part of a minimum custody work crew doing painting at Pines Elementary School. The DOC says he walked away around 10:00 a.m.

The Jamesville native was in prison for larceny and authorities say he will likely face escape charges after what happened today.
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Posted by: Obama 08 4 Prez ! on Jul 31, 2008 at 10:53 PM
People in jail kill me always and so does their supporters. What about the victims, or those of us that never been to jail. If you commit a crime do the time and stop crying. All you hear is pray pray...lots of time they kill their victims, did their victims have time to pray? They get 3 squares, can earn a degree, buff up, watch TV, and get free medical and dental care. Sounds like college with extra great benefits. Yet hard working Americans walk around with bad teeth, sending their kids to community colleges while millions go to baby sit criminal in air conditioned and heated cells. I don't feel sorry for them. They aren't paying any bills. Pray for me, feel sorry for me. I work and pay my own bills, save for my kids college, husband in Iraq. Put braces on my own kid. I need a tooth worked on. But I know right from wrong. I'm not hurting anyone to get money or things I would like, I'm working. Stop taking up for them. They did it to themselves!!!!!!
Posted by: tim ,,, Location: kill devil hills on Jul 31, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Pray for him ,,yes , but the fact is he did something wrong, and thats why he is in custody . Now hes doing something wrong again and we should just let him get away with it ? this is why these criminals continue to do wrong , no harsh punishment . If we would just stop babysitting these guys and make them do honest,hard-time maybe ,just maybe they will think twice about being habitual offenders
Posted by: Lynn Location: Plymouth on Jul 31, 2008 at 01:14 PM
It is very easy for someone to share their opinion but until you really know what was on that mans mind you have no clue what was going through his head. We all from the corrupt society that we live in are quick to past their judgement. Take a minute and pray for him instead of saying he should get more time. If he was being supervised like he should have been this could had been prevented.good job DOC
Posted by: CrackDown Location: Prison County on Jul 30, 2008 at 06:51 AM
Bring back the CHAIN GANG ... bush hooks for everyone ... there are plenty of weeds and brush for all our penal system customers. Clinkety-clank-SWISH-clankety-clink-SWISH. All that sun and fresh air ... what more could they ask for?
Posted by: Concerned Location: Eastern North Carolina on Jul 29, 2008 at 10:47 PM
It is really interesting to read all this matter about this individual and certainly alot of it is by people that have no idea of the penal system, which includes some of the employees of same. Certainly this inmate was wrong to leave his work assignment no matter what his reasoning or thinking was. As I worked the prison system for many years and am familiar with this individual from a previous incarceration of his we should be thankful that he is not a violent person and did not harm anyone but himself. We have to look at him as doing wrong but we also need to get behind our legislators to take a closer look at whom they put in charge of some of the facilities and their activities. Keep in mind these are political positions in alot of cases and I have personally seen instances when the staff member assigned to watch these inmates are not doing that. Yes, they have staff assigned to watch them and count them on frequent basis. Also, take a look at Supvr. staff at these facilities
Posted by: Gman Location: Winterville on Jul 29, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Another misconception. Unauthorized leave rule only applies to inmates on work release, home passes or CV pass. It does not apply to inmates on work details or simply because they are in minimum custody.

POST EDITED FOR FLAMING
Posted by: StillDOC Location: Chowan Co. on Jul 29, 2008 at 10:49 AM
It is only unauthorized leave if he voluntarily returns to custody within 24hrs. This man did not return voluntarily. He can and should be charged with escape.
Posted by: todd Location: 7 springs on Jul 29, 2008 at 08:57 AM
the criminals should work, INSIDE the jail In La Grange NC last week criminals directing traffic for a crew trimming trees in front of Food Lion waved both me and a driver from the other direction on at the same time, nearly causing a head on collision they both had dept.of correction orange jackets on, but no flags or stop signs or even radios that I could see. We need to finds hard jobs that they can do inside the walls of prison where they belong until released
Posted by: S Location: ENC on Jul 29, 2008 at 08:27 AM
Obviously,most people don't know the corrections system....Their whole purpose is to feed,clothe,shelter, educate & coddle their prisoners,even to getting them special meals for their special needs...Give them extra time for escape,I think NOT!!! Folks,check it out,the prison system is only a babysitting arena for misbehaving adults...our liberal leaders have made sure that it is not a punishment in any way....No wonder crime is rampant!!
Posted by: former DOC employee Location: washinton on Jul 29, 2008 at 12:53 AM
If he is on minimum custody he can walk away and as long as he returns withing 24 hours, its NOT escape, rather unauthorized leave, BIG difference
Posted by: Obama 08 4 Prez nope he flip flopped! on Jul 28, 2008 at 11:14 PM
Gman yes most of the bloggers are in the dark about the criminal justice system hence we aren't criminals. And really don't have a reason to Google the difference between work release and work detail. Oh I'm sorry, I can't speak for anyone but myself. Never been to jail, pray to never go.
Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 28, 2008 at 09:53 PM
looking at his recored he must have been trying to OUTSMART the syatem again.....people like this should not be allowed to work ....i hope kids were not present at the school
Posted by: Jville Location: Jamesville on Jul 28, 2008 at 09:40 PM
Pray for this man an his family! Pray that our living God will help him!
Posted by: Gman Location: Winterville on Jul 28, 2008 at 08:56 PM
Reading these comments makes it apparant that the general public is in the dark about our criminal justice system. First of all he wasn't on work release, he was on a work detail. There is a significant difference. This inmate was on a community work crew and was under the supervision of an unarmed Correctional Officer. This detail is similiar to inmates that work with NCDOT every day. There is very little supervision and an inmate can easily walk away. Some of these inmates are felons and even though they aren't supposed to be assigned to these crews if they are serving time for a violent crime it does happen quite often. The DOC has contracts with DOT and others to provide a quota of workers and they will meet these quotas even if sometimes it means bending the rules. The other misconception is that this inmate will serve additional time for his infraction. That isn't necessarily true. As a matter of fact under structured sentencing laws it is very unlikely he will get any more time.
Posted by: Obama 08 4 Prez! nope he flip flopped! on Jul 28, 2008 at 07:07 PM
When they put you on those minimum custody work crew, its almost time for you to come home. What was this man thinking? He wasn't, the paint fumes must have fried his brain cells....LOL@cells. Now he has more time to do. Maybe he didn't want to be released. I've seen stranger, heard stranger, got stranger in my family. What do you say......enjoy your next 5 years!
Posted by: proud wife Location: plymouth on Jul 28, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Nice work to all of the law enforcement personnel who worked on this escape. You guys are awesome!
Posted by: nancy Location: obion tn on Jul 28, 2008 at 06:25 PM
all you folks please remeber that he has kids keep your thoughts just about him no body eles,,,,,
Posted by: duh on Jul 28, 2008 at 03:42 PM
If you look at his DOC record he already had one conviction for escape from jail - Why the HECK would they allow him to be on an outside work crew? They can't even use their own information to determine he should not have been out there? SAD!!
Posted by: Moldy Location: Plymouth NC on Jul 28, 2008 at 03:21 PM
He probably decided that it was better to run than to breathe in all that mold at the school......Now he'll get a few more years of 3 hots and a cot.
Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 28, 2008 at 03:18 PM
How stupid can you be? He was on work release, probably soon the be released. Well I guess he has extra time to serve now.
Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 28, 2008 at 03:06 PM
Is everyone going to put the blame on Pines Ele. with this story????????
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