A suspect in a 2015 murder escaped from the Macoupin County Jail in Carlinville on Sunday night. 35 year old William D. Kavanaugh of East Alton escaped from custody at approximately 10PM Sunday after he obtained access to a maintenance closet allegedly with the help of a fellow inmate. Kavanaugh allegedly crawled through the ceiling and then escaped the building through a second-story window. Surveillance video showed Kavanaugh running south from the jail.
Kavanaugh was considered armed and dangerous at the time of his escape. According to St. Louis’ KSDK, at about 9:20PM Monday, Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl said deputies arrested William Kavanaugh in the 200 block of Law Street in Shipman at a friend’s trailer. Kahl told KSDK that Kavanaugh surrendered peacefully. The sheriff credited someone who called in a tip saying they had possibly seen Kavanaugh in the area.
According to the Macoupin County Enquirer-Democrat, Kavanaugh was charged with 3 counts of first-degree murder, home invasion, residential burglary, and aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm in connection to the January 1st, 2015 shooting death of Cody Adams of Woodburn. Kavanaugh was awaiting a pre-trial hearing in Macoupin Circuit Court on April 27th. He faces up to 60 years in prison on the charges. According to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office records, Kavanaugh has been involved in and convicted of multiple crimes dating back to 2004.