Kay County seeks jail escapees
Crime: Authorities said one of the inmates has a history of fleeing from custody
Kay County seeks jail escapees

By Sheila Stogsdill

Published: June 25, 2008

NEWKIRK — Authorities on Tuesday continued to search for two Kay County inmates — including a possible three-time escapee — who fled the county jail late Monday night.

Darrin Muegge, 40, of Tonkawa, and Terrance Cottingham, 18, of Pawhuska left the Kay County jail through a fire escape door sometime after 11 p.m. Monday, a sheriff's dispatcher said Tuesday.

Authorities believe the men used a piece of metal they tore from a jail bunk bed to open two fire escape doors, the dispatcher said.

Muegge has a history of escaping from jail, authorities said. He bolted from the Delaware County jail in Jay in January 1999 and fled the Kay County jail June 5 with two other prisoners.

He, Christopher Barrera and Donald Chapman were recaptured by authorities two days later at a Ponca City hotel.

Questions regarding possible procedural changes since that last escape were referred to Jail Administrator Stephanie Ringgold. Ringgold was unavailable for comment.

Muegge is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds and has brown eyes and brown hair. Cottingham is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information about the inmates' whereabouts is asked to call the Kay County sheriff's office at (580) 362-2517.