Shivangi Sinha
Showtime’s ‘Escape at Dannemora’ draws inspiration from the real-life events of June 2015. Two inmates, David Sweat and Richard Matt, escaped from the maximum-security Clinton Correctional Facility located in upstate New York. The pair received assistance from Joyce Mitchell, a prison worker, who later alleged that she was manipulated by the convicts into helping them. Their escape set off a massive manhunt that lasted 22 days, during which law enforcement agencies worked tirelessly to track them down. Ultimately, both men were recaptured, and David faced severe consequences for his role in the escape.
David Sweat Was Being Held in New York Prison for Murder of a Police Officer
David Sweat was born on June 14, 1980, and spent much of his childhood in Binghamton, New York. According to his mother, Pamela Sweat, he exhibited violent temperaments from a young age. He even began using marijuana recreationally as a teenager. In an effort to curb his behavior, Pamela sent him to live with relatives in Florida, where he started spending time with his cousin, Jeffrey A. Nabinger Jr. It was during this period that David became involved in a series of robberies, leading to multiple arrests and convictions throughout his adolescence.
On July 4, 2002, David and his cousin Jeffrey A. Nabinger burglarized a gun shop in Pennsylvania. Following the heist, they traveled to New York, where they were spotted by Broome County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Tarsia while transferring stolen pistols and ammunition between vehicles. In a bid to evade capture, David shot at the deputy and, along with Nabinger, ran him over with their car. In a shocking turn of events, Nabinger then shot the officer twice in the face. It didn’t take long for law enforcement to locate the duo and arrest them. David was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and pled guilty to the charge.
David was spared the death penalty and instead received a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2010, while he was incarcerated at the Clinton Correctional Facility, he first crossed paths with Richard Matt, another inmate serving a life sentence for murder. Together, David and Matt began devising their escape plan, and they allegedly seduced Joyce Mitchell, a seamstress employed at the facility. Joyce claimed that during their interactions, she shared a nude photo of herself with David, though some reports suggest that they had an ongoing sexual relationship. David has also denied these claims.
David Sweat Attempted to Flee the Country After Escaping From Prison
Joyce Mithcell provided the inmates with tools that enabled them to dig a hole out of their cells and through a manhole into the streets. On June 6, 2015, they executed their escape plan. Joyce had promised to wait for them with a getaway car near the manhole, but she never showed up. David Sweat and Richard Matt had initially intended to flee to Mexico and even plotted to kill Joyce’s husband, Lyle Mitchell, to ensure a smooth escape. However, with Joyce’s absence, they altered their plans and headed toward Canada instead. Law enforcement quickly mobilized, and on June 28, David was captured near the Canadian border. His accomplice, Matt, was shot and killed during a confrontation with police on June 26, 2015, as they attempted to apprehend him.
David sustained gunshot wounds to his arms and shoulders during the police’s efforts to apprehend him. He was initially taken to Alice Hyde Medical Center and later transferred to Albany Medical Center for further treatment. During interrogation, he confessed to being the mastermind behind the escape, revealing that he had drawn inspiration from the hit film ‘Shawshank Redemption.’ David faced two counts of escape and one count of prison contraband and was subsequently convicted. In addition to his existing life sentence, he received an extra 3.5 to 7 years. At the time of his sentencing in 2016, David expressed remorse for his actions and issued an apology to the community for instilling fear and terror.
David Sweat is Incarcerated Even Today
Following his capture, David Sweat was promptly transferred to the Five Points Correctional Unit in Romulus. In this maximum-security prison, he was placed in a solitary confinement facility with a 23-hour lockdown. In 2017, he was moved to the Attica Correctional Facility, where he initiated a hunger strike, claiming that the guards were attempting to poison him. Subsequently, he was relocated to the Wende Correctional Facility. After some time there, he spent a few months at Auburn Correctional Facility before finally being transferred to Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
In 2022, David was transferred to the Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, New York, where he initiated another hunger strike. He expressed concerns that the prison’s proximity to Dannemora, the site of his infamous escape with Richard Matt, would lead to retaliation from correctional officers involved in the manhunt. His girlfriend at the time, Fran Malanik, spoke out in support of him. During the hunger strike, he lost over 20 pounds within three weeks. In April 2022, a judge ruled that he could be force-fed, emphasizing that inmates do not possess a constitutional right to starve themselves. Now 44 years old, David is currently incarcerated at the NYSDOC Midstate Correctional Facility in Marcy, New York, and will not be eligible for parole for the rest of his life.
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