PAWNEE COUNTY –As the search for a Kansas sex offender continues for a third day, law enforcement officials released disturbing information on the timeline and a lack of communication on John Freeman Colt's escape from the Sexual Predator Program at Larned State Hospital.
According to the Pawnee County Sheriff's office and a media release from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, 42-year-old Colt walked away from Larned State Hospital's Dillon Building just after 7a.m. on Wednesday.
Officials at Larned State Hospital did not notify law enforcement until 12:47p.m., according to the Pawnee County Sheriff's office.
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services issued a state-wide media release on the search for Colt just before 5 p.m. Wednesday that included a statement from Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Laura Howard, "My leadership team at Larned is working closely with local law enforcement to ensure this resident is apprehended quickly and without incident. I am in constant contact with the superintendent at Larned and am actively monitoring the situation."
Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir explained how Colt made it into the community. “He caught a ride into town and gave a story he had a broken-down vehicle,” Bellendir said. “He was dressed in dress clothes. He didn’t look like what you’d expect an inmate to be. He looked more like a social worker, and that’s probably how he managed to escape, which the state investigators for DOC (the Department of Corrections) are over there trying to figure all of that out right now.”
Bellendir said Colt had altered his appearance by cutting his hair and shaving off a beard. The sheriff also said Colt is known to be violent to law enforcement officers.
Colt is described as a white male, medium skin tone, 5-foot-7, 200 pounds, blue eyes, and short brown hair. He also has a tattoo on his left arm of a heart with the letters BH.
He was last seen wearing a gray long sleeve shirt, black pants ( possibly dress pants ) and a dark face mask. Subject possibly has an ID badge "C JONES", and may have a cell phone. He should be considered dangerous.