Phelps County Jail Inmate Escapes, Arrested Near KC

An inmate at the Phelps County Jail was arrested Sept. 30 near Kansas City, a day after he escaped from the facility.

According to the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, Jonathan O’Dell, 33, was arrested in Ray County, west of Kansas City.

He was taken into custody following a pursuit in a stolen vehicle from Phelps County.

O’Dell and Steven T. Scott escaped the jail “by comprising the structural integrity of the cell and exiting the building.”

The pair escaped around 11:09 p.m.

Scott turned himself in, according to the sheriff’s department, and will face further charges.

O’Dell was considered “extremely dangerous” and had been held on numerous weapons charges.

O’Dell was indicted by a federal grand jury in May on charges related to a conspiracy to murder Border Patrol officers.

He was a member of the 2nd American Militia.

O’Dell and Bryan C. Perry, 37, Clarksville, Tenn., were charged in a 44-count indictment, according to the United States Department of Justice.

They engaged in a shootout with FBI agents, who arrested them on the eve of their planned trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The indictment alleges that Perry and O’Dell participated in a conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the U.S. government, according to a press release.

They allegedly planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants and murdering officers and employees of the Border Patrol.

Both have been charged with the attempted murder of FBI special agents, seven counts of assaulting FBI agents with a deadly weapon, three counts of assaulting FBI special agents, 14 counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of damaging federal property.

O’Dell also is charged with one count of possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of threatening to injure another person and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.

The DOJ said throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2022, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join their militia group. 

They advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw prior to leaving for the border.

On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They allegedly used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies.

The federal indictment cites a series of social media posts from Perry. On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.”

On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022. 

On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry held a phone conversation with an unidentified individual in which Perry stated they were going to go down to the United States – Mexico border to “start a war.”  Perry expressed their plan to shoot people coming across the border and to shoot “federal agents” who would oppose them.  Perry also stated they would acquire gear and supplies from federal agents after they “take a couple of ’em out.”

On Oct. 7, 2022, according to the indictment, Perry and O’Dell had amassed six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, a handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two items that appeared to be ballistic helmets, and multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target.

On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence and took O’Dell and Perry into custody. Federal agents approached the property in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker on one of the vehicles, stating that they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle. According to the indictment, Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. FBI special agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.