Authorities are searching for a 25-year-old inmate who escaped from the Monroe Correctional Complex late Thursday night, with officials acknowledging that more than four hours passed before prison staff realised he was gone.
According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, Samuel Evans Kimble escaped from the prison’s minimum security unit at approximately 10:53 p.m. Thursday. Staff did not discover he was missing until a formal inmate count at 3:30 a.m. Friday morning, leaving a window of nearly five hours during which his whereabouts were unknown and no search had been initiated.
Kimble is serving a 27-month sentence for a domestic violence court order violation involving assault in Snohomish County. His scheduled release date was 5 January 2027. Officials say he is not currently believed to be in the Monroe area, though his exact location remains unknown.
Nearby law enforcement agencies and schools have been notified as the search continues. Kimble was last seen wearing grey state-issued sweatpants, a khaki jacket, and a black do-rag. Authorities are urging the public not to approach him if spotted.
Anyone with information on Kimble’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately or contact Washington Department of Corrections headquarters at 360-480-2696.
