Jose Espinosa is a convict charged with aggravated manslaughter. He and accomplice Otis Blunt escaped from the Union County jail in New Jersey in 2007, through a hole dug in the wall of their jail cell. He was captured a month later in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
In May 2009, both men entered guilty pleas for the escape charges, and each man may face a five-year sentence for the crime.Salon: 2 inmates in NJ 'Shawshank'...(May 5, 2009)
The Shawshank Redemption Connection
In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Tim Robbins, as Andy Dufresne, escapes the confines of prison, with the help of fellow inmate "Red" (Morgan Freeman). Dufresne was able to escape by way of a hole, which was hidden by photos of Rita Hayworth and Raquel Welch, in a manner similar to the escape of Espinosa and Blunt. The similarity prompted a comparison of their escape to the storyline in the movie.Salon: 2 inmates in NJ 'Shawshank'...(May 5, 2009)
References
Fast Facts
-
Age at the time of escape
20
-
Fact:
Member of the Bloods gang
-
Fact:
Was the driver in a gang-war drive-by shooting
-
Fact:
Is serving a 17-year jail sentence for aggravated manslaughter, in the 2005 death of Hassan Jackson
-
Fact:
Was held in a high security area of the Union County Jail in New Jersey
-
Fact:
Escape hole was concealed by a pinup picture
-
Tools
A thick metal wire and a 10lb steel water shut-off wheel (used to pulverize the block)
-
Fact:
Blunt was acquitted of the robbery charge which sent him to prison
-
Fact:
Left a goodbye note which said, "Thank you officers for the tools needed. You’re a real pal! Happy Holiday"
