Photo: St. Louis County Police Department
Authorities in Missouri have launched a manhunt for a "dangerous" convicted child sex offender who escaped custody. Tommy Wayne Boyd, who was serving a 30-year sentence for statutory sodomy, managed to walk out of Mercy Hospital South in St. Loius on Thursday (September 21).
Boyd was taken to the hospital on Wednesday for treatment and was being guarded by two Missouri Department of Corrections officers, officials said. He was last seen around 3:45 a.m. on Thursday morning. However, the Affton Southwest Precinct was not alerted to his disappearance until 4:30 a.m.
Security camera footage from the hospital shows Boyd walking through the hallways wearing a black sweatshirt, shorts, and orange slippers. He was able to walk out of the hospital and left "traveling in an unknown direction."
In a post on X, formally Twitter, the St. Louis County Police Department said that Boyd is "dangerous" and urged local residents to call 911 if they see him.
"We're urging residents to remain vigilant as our officers search for Mr. Boyd. Be sure your homes and garages are secure. Watch children at bus stops," the department wrote.
Officials have not said how he managed to evade the two officers who were guarding him.