MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The DeSoto County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to ABC24 a judge has issued a gag order for D.A. Matthew Barton’s office as he investigates the escape of an inmate at the Desoto County Courthouse in June.
The reward stands at $20,000 for Joshua James Zimmerman, who the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office said escaped on June 14, 2024, from the courthouse, where he had been scheduled for a hearing. $10,000 is offered by the U.S. Marshals Service and $10,000 from the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office.
The escape
The sheriff’s office said Zimmerman was arrested by Southaven Police and charged with several felonies, including attempted murder. He was being held at the DeSoto County Adult Detention Center ahead of his morning hearing on Friday, June 14, when he reportedly escaped. He was being held originally on a total of $1,075,000 bond, according to jail records.
DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas E. Tuggle said during a June 19th press conference that moments after Zimmerman removed his handcuffs and escaped custody inside the courthouse, he ran to a nearby gas station asking for a ride and was able to convince one man to drive him to Memphis.
D.A. investigating escape
On June 20, DeSoto County District Attorney Barton announced his office would open an investigation into how Zimmerman escaped from custody, and why video of his escape was deleted from his servers, according to Barton.
"My investigators ... obtained video footage of what happened ... it did not take long for us to uncover a conspiracy to cover-up and suppress certain evidence regarding the escape of Joshua Zimmerman," Barton said. "Some coconspirators from an outside entity, not the State of Mississippi, directed the county IT to go onto my server and delete state's evidence."
Barton said that he would give the case to a grand jury to assess and inspect with regards to the escape and then issue a finding.
Barton would not identify any organization by name that he said took the state’s evidence from his server, but the grand jury investigation would let the people decide.
Where is Zimmerman?
At 6:25 p.m. on June 14, the Sheriff's Office released the following statement:
"As of now, we believe suspect, Joshua James Zimmerman, has left the immediate area. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office will not stop searching for Zimmerman. He will be apprehended. Please share this post and if you come into contact with Zimmerman, do not approach him. Please call authorities immediately. This is an ongoing investigation, and we will update the public and news media of any developments."
The sheriff said anyone who may be providing aid to Zimmerman will be charged with a felony.
Zimmerman is listed as 5'11" and 210 lbs. Though his mugshot does not have a beard, the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office said he did have a beard at the time of his escape.
Anyone with information on where he can be found is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency immediately, the U.S. Marshals at 1-800-336-0102, or call the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office at 662-469-8000.
