Missouri Man Sentenced To Death For Killing Two Jail Guards For Helping Inmate Escape In 2000

Michael Thisius, 42, is scheduled to die from injections at Bonterre State Penitentiary on June 22, 2000, for the murders of Leon Egley and Jason Acton in a small prison in Randolph County.

Execution ( Photo: Missouri Catholic Conference )

Failure to help an inmate escape leads to the death penalty

The man who shot dead two guards at a rural Missouri prison nearly 23 years ago in a failed attempt to help an inmate escape is scheduled to be executed Tuesday night. On appeal, Tisius’ attorneys asked the Supreme Court to stay the execution, arguing that the jurors at the sentencing hearing were illiterate and violated Missouri law. His supporters also say he was largely ignored during his childhood and was homeless in his early teens. In 1999, at the age of 18, he was jailed for pawning a rented stereo.

The defense argued that the killing was unplanned

They said Tisius had planned to send jailers to jail to release Vance and the other inmates. It will be the 12th execution in the United States this year and the third in Missouri. Only Texas has executed more people this year than Missouri with four.

Tisius and Bulington escaped, but their car broke down in Kansas later that day. The two were arrested in Wathena, Kansas, about 210 miles west of Huntsville. Tisius confessed to the crime.

Tisuis’ lawyers released a video last week claiming that Vance planned the escape and manipulated him into joining.

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