Authorities in St. Louis are searching for Tommy Wayne Boyd, a convicted child sex offender who escaped from Mercy Hospital South while under medical treatment. Boyd, 45, is an inmate from the Potosi Correctional Facility and is serving a 30-year sentence for enticement of a child. He was last seen at the hospital at 3:54 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.
“Surveillance footage indicates Boyd left the hospital on foot, heading in an unknown direction,” the police department stated. The hospital mentioned that two Missouri Department of Corrections officers were on guard when Boyd escaped, and there was no physical confrontation. The Department of Corrections is investigating the escape, said Lt. Col. Jason Law of the St. Louis County Police.
Authorities have cautioned that while it is unknown if Boyd is armed, he should be considered “dangerous.” Local police have urged residents to remain vigilant and secure their homes. Lindbergh Schools, a local school district, has placed all of its schools on “lockout” as a precautionary measure. Law stated that flight operations and canine units are being employed in the search, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the state Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Boyd was previously convicted of statutory sodomy in 1996, involving an 11-year-old boy. He pleaded guilty in 1997 and served a 10-year sentence. He is described as a 5-foot-7 white male, weighing approximately 154 pounds, with balding hair and a beard, last seen in a black sweatshirt, black jacket, and orange slippers.
Anyone with information about Boyd’s whereabouts is urged to contact 866-371-8477.
