Copiah County Sheriff’s Department authorities say they havescaled back search efforts to find a potentially dangerous escapeeafter seeing no signs of him in the area for several days.

Authorities say Sydney Benner, 30, of Panama City, Fla., escapedfrom the exercise yard of the Copiah County Jail Thursday when aguard went inside for just a minute. He climbed a 10-foot fence andtwo rows of razor wire to break free.

His blood-stained orange jail jumpsuit and a map of the areawere found in the Gallman woods not far from the jail. The mapseemed to indicate Benner might be fleeing toward the railroadtracks.

But since then, no sign has been seen in the land and airmanhunt for the escapee, said Chief Deputy Tony Hemphill.

“That’s the reason we scaled the search down,” he said. “Wehoped if he’s still in the area that would make him come out ofhiding.”

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