Crews spend second day searching for escaped murderer

TUCKER, AR – The search for an escaped murderer in central Arkansas continues more than 24 hours after he escaped from the prison.

Curtis Reese, Jr. left from the Tucker Unit in Jefferson County on top of an 18-wheeler in a water tank. Law enforcement believes Reese jumped off the truck in the Ferda area around 1:30pm on Monday.

Reese was serving 40 years in prison for the 1997 murders of Eric Ogden, 20, and Lance Kelloms, 17. Ogden and Kelloms were found shot in the head at 11400 Goodwin Road in Saline County.

Reese and his accomplice, Jason Meredith, were arrested the next day in connection to the shooting. Lt. Scott Courtney remembers working the case.

“I can’t tell you how many interviews I did in that 30 hour period of time from when we received the original call until we determined who the suspects were.”

The case against Reese and Meredith was turned over to then Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Brent Standridge.

"He essentially has a 40 year sentence which he must serve 70% (28 years) of that before he's eligible to be released," said Standrigde. Reese served 15 years before his escape Monday.

Both Standridge and Lt. Courtney say having Reese on the run is a huge disappointment after all their hard work on the original case.

"I don't want him out in public. He's been convicted of murder, which is not somebody I want running around, someone who has not served his time like he's supposed to," said Courtney.

“He's been convicted of two homicides. Be on the lookout as far as his description and call authorities if you see anyone resembling that description,” said Stanridge.

So the search for Reese continues. Crews will use helicopters, ATV’s, and even horses to make sure Reese is put back where he belongs.

"We will continue to search for him here for as long as we believe he's in this area," says Arkansas Department of Correction spokesperson Shea Wilson.