Husband: No, I'm Not 'Standing By' Wife Accused in Prison Break

Lyle Mitchell refutes earlier reports
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 17, 2015 8:49 AM CDT
Husband: No, I'm Not 'Standing By' Wife Accused in Prison Break
Joyce Mitchell heads into Plattsburgh City Court for her hearing Monday, June 15, 2015.   (Rob Fountain/Press-Republican via AP)

Lyle Mitchell visited his wife, Joyce, in jail yesterday—the woman accused of helping two prison inmates escape—and was probably surprised to learn afterward that he fully supported her. At least that's how her lawyer described things after their unmonitored meeting of about an hour, conducted by phone between a glass barrier. His lawyer has a different take, reports NBC News. "Nothing could be further from the truth," says lawyer Peter Dumas. He quotes his client as saying, "There's no way I'm standing behind her." He adds that Lyle Mitchell visited Joyce Mitchell because he had some questions for her, without going into specifics.

Presumably, they involved an alleged plot by his wife and inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat to kill him, along with allegations that she'd had sexual relationships with both men. A source tells CNN that Joyce Mitchell actually warned her husband that his life was in danger because the inmates were about to escape, but his attorney denies that. "He didn't know anything about the escape plan," says Dumas. Meanwhile, the search continues for Matt and Sweat, but the trail seems to have grown cold. (More prison stories.)

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