A Mississippi inmate who was on the run for over two months before being captured by U.S. Marshals in Chicago has been sentenced to 55 years on state charges.
The DeSoto District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that Joshua Zimmerman was sentenced to a half century behind bars for an attempted murder charge in Mississippi. He had previously shot a Southaven resident before dropping the victim off at a local hospital.
Another five years was tacked on by the judge for Zimmerman’s escape from the DeSoto County Courthouse last summer. Zimmerman pleaded guilty to both charges.
At the time of his escape, Zimmerman was facing the attempted murder charge in Mississippi and awaiting extradition to Texas for charges of murder and armed robbery. He still awaits federal sentencing for the multi-state manhunt, a trial in Texas, and faces unresolved charges in Connecticut.
“Let me be clear. DeSoto County will never be a safe haven for criminals. If you threaten our community, we will find you, we will prosecute you, and you will serve a stiff jail sentence in the hot Mississippi Delta,” DeSoto County DA Matthew Barton said, referring to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
Zimmerman escaped custody of law enforcement on June 14, 2024, with Barton revealing shortly afterward that his escape was a partial product of work from the inside. Camera footage was found to have been deleted from the courthouse.
On Aug. 20, 2024, Zimmerman was located in Chicago blocks away from where thousands were gathered for the Democratic National Convention. He barricaded himself inside a seafood restaurant and stayed put for 15 hours until being apprehended while trying to hide in the restaurant’s ceiling.
A now-fired DeSoto County jailer by the name of Ronnie Hunt was arrested for arrested after Zimmerman’s capture for allegedly helping him in the jailbreak. The DeSoto County Courthouse even implemented new security measures in an effort to prevent other escapes from happening.
Zimmerman’s capture and sentencing on state charges was the result of a collaborative law enforcement approach by the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office, Southaven Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. TV personality Dog the Bounty Hunter even helped. But most importantly, according to Barton, prosecutors on the case took the first step in ensuring Zimmerman stays in prison for a very long time.
“It was truly a team effort, and justice was served because of it,” Barton said. “[The prosecutors] are the silent gladiators who play a crucial role in keeping our neighborhoods safe, even if you don’t always see them. Without them, the justice system and holding criminals accountable – could not happen.”
