WhenEscape at Dannemorapremiered in 2018 on Showtime, viewers were quickly drawn into the story oftwo inmates who used the help of a prison worker to escape.Rave reviews were handed outtoPatricia Arquetteas the woman who aids the inmates, andBenicio Del ToroandPaul Danogive inspired performances as the two men who are hellbent on fleeing. The 7-episode limited series was rewarded with12 Emmy nominations(including ones for all three lead actors). But the most surprising aspect of theBen Stiller-directed series,which just debuted on Netflix, is that it was inspired by real-life events.
‘Escape at Dannemora’ Is Based on Real Events
Richard Matt (Del Toro) and David Sweat (Dano) werereal inmates who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility, located in Dannemora, New York, in June 2015.Matt was arrested in 2008 for the 1997 kidnapping and murderof a 76-year-old businessman named William Rickerson. Rickerson had fired Matt, which led him (with the help of an accomplice) to beat the man, drive him around for 27 hours in his truck, and then snap his neck. He dismembered Rickerson’s body, disposed of him in the Niagara River, and then fled to Mexico. He was only extradited to the U.S. after stabbing someone outside a bar. He was sentenced to three counts of murder, three counts of kidnapping, and two counts of robbery with a sentence of 25 years to life. Sweat was just as much of a cold-hearted killer as Matt. In 2002, he stole a truck and was driving around in it with firearms he had stolen from a gun store. Sweat and his accomplices were stopped by Deputy Kevin Tarsia;they shot the officer 15 timesand proceeded to run him over with their truck. Sweat pleaded guilty, with a sentence of life without parole, in order to avoid the death penalty.
Joyce “Tillie” Mitchell (Arquette) was working as a tailor at the correctional facility where Matt and Sweat were imprisoned. She later admitted to flirting with the two inmates and had a romantic relationship with Matt (and even provided nude photos of herself to Sweat). Shockingly,Mitchell agreed to smuggle in hacksaw blades, chisels, lighted glasses, and drill bits to the inmates. She did this by hiding the items in frozen hamburger meat that she was bringing into the prison. For nearly three months,Sweat and Matt worked to cut through the walls of their cells, eventually escaping through tunnels underneath the prison and then up through a manhole onto the street. Mitchell was originally supposed to pick up the men and drive them to Mexico, but she ended up in the hospital with chest pains, so the men were on their own to escape.
15 Gripping Series Based on Famous True Crimes
Welcome to the golden age of true crime.
Where Are the People From ‘Escape at Dannemora’ Today?
Matt and Sweat were somehow able to stay on the lam for 20 days, even with multiple agencies (including the FBI and U.S. Border Control) coordinating a massive manhunt to search for them. On June 30, 2025, a neighbor noticed a gunpowder smell coming from a nearby cabin, and law enforcement discovered Matt there.He was shot and killed by police. But Sweat was no longer with him. In fact, the men had split up about two weeks prior. They had decided to walk to Canada, but Matt was injured and Sweat thought he was slowing him down, so he ditched him. Two days after Matt was killed, Sweat was spotted by police in New York. He was shot twice, but recovered, and ended up being sentenced to three-and-a-half to seven years on top of his previous life sentence. Mitchell was forced to take responsibility for her actions.She pleaded guilty to helping the men escape and was sentenced to seven years in prisonand a fine of $80,000.She was released in 2020after serving five years, and surprisingly, is still married to her husband, Lyle.
There was a lot of fallout because of Mitchell’s actions. The state of New York said that the manhunt cost approximately $23 million, plus an additional $573,000 to upgrade the correctional facility with additional security measures and to repair the damage to the building that the men had inflicted during their escape.Mitchell has expressed remorse, saying, “This is by far the worst mistake I have ever made in my life. I live with regret every day and will for the rest of my life.” What remains is that the real-life story of Dannemora isa fascinating look at the true cost of manipulationand what some are willing to risk to earn back their freedom.
Escape at Dannemorais available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
Escape At Dannemora
Watch on Netflix
