SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Update 8/5/23: Escaped inmate Joseph Baynes has been found and returned to custody, according to the Dakota Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota.

In a Facebook post, the Sheriff’s office says he was captured in Savannah on Friday.

Joseph Baynes has been transferred from the Chatham County Jail. He’s still awaiting extradition back to Dakota County, Minnesota.

Original story: According to the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Joseph Baynes was released into the custody of a law enforcement agency out of Minnesota Thursday morning, where he is wanted on felony stalking charges. He was initially arrested in Bulloch County and signed a waiver of extradition to be returned to Minnesota.

After transferring custody, Baynes escaped from the airport around 1:30 p.m.

Sheriff Noel Brown says the inmate did not escape custody from BCSO.

The Sheriff’s Office released the following statement just before 5 p.m. Thursday:

Sheriff Brown would like to clarify some misinformation that is being released by some media outlets.

Joseph H. Baynes is wanted out of Dakota County Minnesota on felony stalking charges. Baynes, who was in custody at the Bulloch County Jail, signed a waiver of extradition to return to Minnesota to answer to those charges. Baynes was turned over to officials from Minnesota this morning for transport. At some point while at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport Baynes escaped custody. At no time were there any law enforcement officials from the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office involved in the incident at the airport. Hope this clarifies that Baynes did not escape custody of the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Brown

Savannah police cars and a handful of officers surrounded the wooded area off of Airways Avenue just outside the airport during the search. The search was called off around 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the direction of Minnesota deputies.

Operations at the airport remained normal.

On Friday afternoon, the agency that traveled down to Bulloch County to collect the inmate and later had the inmate escape custody, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, released a statement regarding the inmate who has still not been recovered:

This is a developing story.