A manhunt for two convicted murders in New York state was in its ninth day Sunday, and officials said that while the search focused on the area near the prison, the two could be as far away as Mexico, according to dpa. Authorities have set up checkpoints along roads in the area near the prison in northern New York about 500 kilometres from New York City. They also are operating around-the-clock searches on foot and from the air using infrared surveillance equipment at night, news reports said. Officials admitted that despite the massive effort they had no solid leads and said the two escapees, David Sweat, 34, and Richard Matt, 48, could have gone north and crossed the border into Canada or gone south to Mexico. "We don't know if they are still in the immediate area or if they are in Mexico by now," Governor Mario Cuomo said. New information also surfaced Sunday about a prison employee who has been arrested on charges of helping the two men escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility in the town of Dannemora. Joyce Mitchell was to meet the two men at an abandoned power plant after they escaped and drive them to a location seven hours away, according to the district attorney. But Mitchell didn't follow through with the plan. "It appears that, based on her statements, at the last moment she bailed out," said Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie on CNN. Mitchell, 51, is due in court on Monday on charges of providing "material assistance" to Sweat and Matt, who were discovered missing June 13 from the prison. Officials knew from the beginning they had help in carrying out the escape because power tools were used to cut into a steam pipe and to open a manhole. The Mitchell worked in the prison's tailor shop, where she developed a friendship with the pair, officials said. If convicted, she could be sentenced to up to eight years in prison. Sweat was serving a life sentence for killing a sheriff's deputy, and Matt was sent to jail for 25 years-to-life for three counts of murder, three counts of kidnapping and two counts of robbery.
