Kansas cops arrest escaped convict who walked away from state prison

Update:

Ronald Smith was arrested at around 7:25 p.m. Sunday, prison officials said. Law enforcement officers from the Kansas Highway Patrol, Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, Larned State Hospital security and the Kansas Department of Corrections were involved in the search for the escaped inmate.

Original story:

A Kansas felon escaped from a state prison Sunday morning, officials said.

Ronald Smith, 52, was reported missing when he didn’t show up to his work assignment at Larned State Hospital, Kansas Department of Corrections officials said in a news release. It was determined that the minimum-custody inmate walked away from Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, and he was placed on escape status at around 8:05 a.m.

Smith was described by KDOC officials as 5-foot-10, 179 pounds with green eyes and black and gray hair.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Kansas Department of Corrections at 620-285-6249, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 800-572-7463 or local law enforcement at 911.

Smith is serving a sentence for 2018 Reno County convictions, including drug possession, theft, burglary and flee and elude. He has 18 other felony convictions from Reno, Sedgwick and Harvey counties since 1990, KDOC records show.

This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 11:50 AM.