OKMULGEE, Okla. — A mother is demanding accountability after her son escaped from the Okfuskee County Jail, unnoticed for five days, and then was shot and killed by state troopers.
Angela Mueller’s son, Joshua Butler, fled from the Okfuskee County Jail and later fled a traffic stop, leading to his shooting death.
WATCH: ‘Unacceptable’: Escaped inmate Joshua Butler’s mother demands answers:
‘Unacceptable’: Escaped inmate Joshua Butler’s mother demands answers
More than being devastated by the loss of her son, Mueller is left with a dozen questions after learning no one knew Butler had escaped for the first five days he was on the run.
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“It just boggles my mind,” said Mueller. “I mean, not just him being able to get out, but five days? I just can’t get past that. It’s just unacceptable. Not just for my son, but for anyone else’s child.”
Butler’s criminal history began in 2002 when he was just 16 years old, according to the Department of Corrections.
WATCH: Details on Butler’s criminal history:
Joshua Butler’s criminal history
His mother said her outgoing, energetic child’s life changed after getting involved with the wrong crowd.
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“He has been in and out of prison,” Mueller said. “They don’t have anything for them to learn to get a job or teach them skills… When he got out, he would just be trying to survive.”
Since Butler’s death, Mueller started fighting for answers and justice for her son. She said no one from law enforcement contacted her, no one looked for Butler at her home while he was on the run, and no one notified her of his death.
“I haven’t talked to no one,” she said. “I mean, I’ve left messages for someone to call me, but as far as I’ve gotten, no one will even talk to me,” Mueller said.
WATCH: Report reveals how Okfuskee County Jail failed state safety standards:
Report reveals how Okfuskee County Jail failed state safety standards
2 News reached out to Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office to ask if who was responsible for notifying the family, but did not receive a response.
The majority of what she learned about her son’s case has come from news reports, Mueller said. Mueller is particularly frustrated about previous inspection issues at the jail.
“I’m furious that if they had an inspection in April with all the write-ups and things, why didn’t they, you know, fix those things that needed to be fixed?” Mueller said.
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Despite his troubled past, Mueller remembers her son as someone with a big heart who was remorseful for his actions.
“Joshua had the biggest heart, a big heart, you know. He would help if you needed anything and he had it, he wouldn’t hesitate,” Mueller said.
The Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office told 2 News they cannot comment until the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation completes its investigation. OSBI said they have no timeline for when they expect to be finished with their work.
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