ESCAPE NOTICE: FRANKLIN COUNTY

October 16, 2023
Contact: FDC Communications

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ESCAPE NOTICE: Franklin County

Rutherford, Robert



TALLAHASSEE, FL — On the afternoon of October 16, 2023, Inmate Robert Rutherford (C01229) from Franklin Correctional Institution escaped from a work detail near the bridge in Apalachicola, Florida. The on-site staff immediately secured the other inmates at the work site, and local law enforcement was notified and initiated a pursuit of the escaped inmate.

FDC is coordinating a large-scale search effort in the area for the escaped inmate. If you see the inmate, do not approach, and call 911. Residents living near Apalachicola are advised to exercise caution and remain vigilant.

Inmate Rutherford is currently serving a 20-year sentence for multiple counts of armed burglary, grand theft, possessing burglary tools, criminal mischief, grand theft of a motor vehicle, trafficking stolen property, burglary of an occupied dwelling, and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling.

The Department is committed to ensuring all inmates are supervised appropriately, and that security protocols at all work sites are followed to prevent escapes. Escapes like this are extremely rare, and this remains an active situation.