Upamanyu Biswas
Gene Palmer: The Prison Correctional Officer Accused of Unwittingly Aiding a Prison Break
As ‘Escape at Dannemora’ is a dramatization of a real-life story, the show takes a heightened view of some of the actual events to embellish the narrative. However, for the most part, the central bits of the case are represented in an authentic manner, which extends to the character of Gene Palmer, who was, in fact, a real escort guard at the Clinton Correctional Facility. After inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat made their escape, Palmer was accused of unknowingly helping them by passing them hamburger meat containing various tools that would help them break out of their cells. He had also allegedly provided Matt with several amenities in the past in exchange for his artwork, which he claimed to be detailed and elaborate. This helping hand allegedly also extended at times to David Sweat.
According to reports, the correctional officer admitted to providing art supplies for the two inmates, who were both said to possess decent art skills. “I purchased and then provided paint and paint brushes for Richard Matt on two separate occasions,” Palmer reportedly said in a statement made to the investigators in June 2015. He also said that he went so far as to shop for paint supplies at a store in Plattsburgh, New York. When Matt and Sweat were in the wind, the prison guard allegedly disposed of some of the paintings in his possession by either burning them in a fire pit at his home or burying them somewhere in the forest. It still did not stop doubts from being cast his way, owing to the favors he had allegedly granted the two prisoners over his tenure.
While the prison break was only possible due to the power tools at the disposal of Matt and Sweat, most of this equipment was delivered inadvertently to them by Palmer, who claimed that he was simply delivering frozen ground beef from Joyce Mitchell, another primary helper in the escape plot. Still, Palmer maintained his innocence with regard to knowing about the escape plan, which was also later backed up through an alleged statement by David Sweat himself in 2015. In many ways, his alleged non-involvement in the plot proved to be somewhat of a saving grace, unlike in the case of Mitchell. Yet, on four different occasions between November 2014 and June 6, 2015, the corrections officer of 27 years had reportedly provided the two inmates with needlenose pliers and a flathead screwdriver.
In 2016, Gene Palmer pleaded guilty to three out of five charges against him, including two misdemeanor charges for unknowingly helping Matt and Sweat escape. He was sentenced to six months in county jail and also fined $5,000, which was a much lighter punishment in comparison to Joyce Mitchell’s, who had received seven years in prison. According to his attorney, the guard was allegedly satisfied with putting the whole thing behind him despite regretting his actions and what they had led to.
Gene Palmer Adopted a Low-Profile After Serving His Sentence
In the aftermath of his sentencing, Gene Palmer was described as having taken to prison life in a quiet and calm manner, not rattling bars anywhere he went. In an interview with NBC, Clinton County Sheriff David Favro said, “He (Palmer) was very quiet. (Kept) very much to himself.” Although Palmer lost his position at the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the sheriff claimed that his long tenure in the prison business might have influenced how he conducted himself during his sentence. The prison guard also allegedly stayed away from taking on additional duties and kept his head down as much as he could. It ultimately paid dividends, as he was released in June 2016, serving only four out of his six-month sentence, on the grounds of good behavior and having paid his fines totaling $5,375.
However, after his release, Palmer seemingly developed a desire to stay away from the limelight, possibly because of everything that had happened. As stated at the end of ‘Escape at Dannemora,’ the former prison staffer adopted a low profile by changing his name and leaving the town. Any updates regarding his whereabouts have been sparse since his release. Incidentally, one of his last appearances in the media was on the day of his release when he told members of the press that he was unwilling to make any comments but grateful for their presence anyway. Considering the undue attention the scandal brought to his doorstep, the 66-year-old is likely to have put the whole affair behind him.
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