Fourth and final escaped Georgia inmate has been captured, sheriff’s office says

Joey Fournier was the last of four escaped Georgia inmates to be captured, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office said.(Bibb County Sheriff's Office)
Published: Nov. 18, 2023 at 2:37 PM EST

STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. (WANF/Gray News) - The last of the four Georgia inmates who escaped from a central Georgia detention center in October has been captured, according to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.

Several authorities arrested 52-year-old Joey Fournier near Stockbridge just before noon on Saturday, the office said. Fournier is a murder suspect in an ongoing case.

A photo provided by the sheriff’s office shows Fournier being arrested outside of what appears to be a hotel. He will reportedly be returned to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center later today.

“We are grateful that this last escapee has been captured,” Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said in a statement. “My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all of the hard-working law enforcement officers from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and from all of our partner agencies who worked tirelessly to bring these four fugitives back into custody.”

Fournier, alongside Chavis Stokes, Marc Anderson and Johnifer Barnwell, escaped from the Bibb County Detention Center on Oct. 16. Officials said the men climbed through a damaged window and fence before driving away in a blue Dodge Challenger.

Stokes, 29, was arrested in October while Barnwell, 37, and Anderson, 24, were arrested earlier this month.