On May 1, 2017, the life of 43-year-old Mark Burbridge, a White/Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in Council Bluffs, Iowa. A deputy with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, Burbridge was killed in the line of duty during a violent jail escape. That day, he and another deputy were returning two inmates to the Pottawattamie County Jail following a court appearance.
One of those inmates was Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, who had just been handed a lengthy prison sentence for a separate murder conviction.
As the deputies were securing the inmates inside the jail, Correa-Carmenaty launched an attack. He had managed to get ahold of a handcuff key, which he used to free himself from his restraints. He then assaulted Deputy Burbridge, using a handmade shank fashioned from a toothbrush to slash him in the face, neck, and arms. During the struggle, Correa-Carmenaty was able to disarm one of the deputies and opened fire, shooting both Burbridge and his partner.
After fatally wounding Deputy Burbridge, Correa-Carmenaty fled the scene in the transport van. His escape set off a frantic chain of events. Shortly after leaving the jail, he shot a citizen during an attempted carjacking. He then successfully carjacked another vehicle, forcing a woman to drive him away from the area. The manhunt crossed state lines into Omaha, Nebraska, where law enforcement officers located the suspect after he had released his hostage. A high-speed chase ensued, which ultimately ended with Correa-Carmenaty's capture.
In the aftermath of the deadly escape, Wesley Correa-Carmenaty faced a host of new charges. On August 15, 2017, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, attempted murder, escape, kidnapping, and other offenses. During his sentencing, he offered an apology to Burbridge's family, claiming the killing was not intentional and that he had been trying to escape. The judge sentenced Correa-Carmenaty to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life incarcerated.
