Fugitive Bryan Gillespie Found Dead

Joe Lyons • May 28, 2023

This afternoon, members of the Henderson Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Marshals Service located wanted fugitive Bryan Gillespie.

Gillespie was wanted by the United States Marshal Service, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections after Gillespie escaped from Allen Correctional Facility in Lima, Ohio last week.

Gillespie escaped the facility with James Lee, and the two surfaced in Henderson, Kentucky last Wednesday after they were pursued by local police, and then crashed the car they were driving in near Hays Park in Henderson, Kentucky. Lee was apprehended shortly after the pursuit but Gillespie evaded police by fleeing on foot.

Local police and the United States Marshal Service quickly established a perimeter around the surrounding area where Gillespie fled, to include a peninsula that was surrounded by the Ohio river. Dozens of law enforcement officers from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio responded to assist with the massive manhunt. After approximately 72 hours of relentlessly searching for Gillespie, the massive manhunt stopped, and a fugitive investigation started.

This afternoon Gillespie’s body was found floating in the Ohio river, near where he originally fled from police. The identification of Gillespie was confirmed through a physical inspection and tattoo confirmation.