WV WV - Kevin Flythe, 52, on bus from Charleston to Washington DC, 27 Jan 2022

[dewey decimal]

Per the Washington Post, Kevin Flythe is a 52-year-old man who was released from prison in Charleston, WV. He suffered a stroke 5 months ago; due to this situation and pre-existing medical problems, he has paralysis in both arms, is nearly nonverbal and has cognitive disabilities.

He was placed on a bus in Charleston, WV on January 27, 2022 and was supposed to transfer in both Cleveland and Baltimore in order to reach DC, though his attorneys do not believe he would have been capable of doing so.

I have seen a missing flyer circulating on social, but nothing from official sources like NAMUS yet, so not sure if I can post! More info in this article: Stroke Victim 'Dumped' By Prison Guards At Bus Stop, Massive Search Launched: Attorney - NewsBreak

 

[Luckyzmom]

Please Lord make sure John is safe tonight . Does he have family in DC ?

 

[dewey decimal]

Please Lord make sure John is safe tonight . Does he have family in DC ?

Yes, Kevin was supposed to meet his cousin at Union Station. She was the one who got in touch with his lawyer when he never arrived.

 

[annpats]

..."he has paralysis in both arms, is nearly nonverbal and has cognitive disabilities. He was placed on a bus and was supposed to transfer in both Cleveland and Baltimore in order to reach DC, though his attorneys do not believe he would have been capable of doing so."

That almost sounds like neglect on the part of the prison guards.

If he is paralyzed in both arms, is non-verbal and has cognitive issues, how on earth did they expect him to change buses, twice, in noisy unfamiliar big cities?!?

Bus stations are confusing for most people, let alone someone with these conditions.
It's difficult knowing when to get off the bus, how to find the next one, where to go, what to look for, he can't ask for help. Oh my.

Just awful. This poor man.

Please let someone kind find him and take him to the police or social services.

 

[annpats]

Very worried for him....he could be anywhere in the north-eastern USA!

 

[annpats]

I've just been on greyhound.com and checked it out.

This route leaves Charleston WV at 2.15pm every day, and arrives in Washington D.C. at 03.15am.

The change of buses is in Pittsburgh PA and Baltimore MD.

Change in Pittsburgh PA at 7.15pm and change in Baltimore MD at 02.00am (!!!)

I wouldn't really want to be hanging around bus stations in these cities at those times!
Bus stations the world over are quite often full of unsavoury characters and itinerant down and outs.....and that's just in the daytime!

Schedule

 

[hibachai]

Was in prison for murder - what are the circumstances? Was anyone related to Kevin's victim notified of his release? Someone may have wanted revenge

From the article:

Prosecutors said in court filings they tried to contact family of the victim, McClure, in advance of court hearings regarding Flythe’s release but did not receive a response. The Washington Post could not reach McClure’s family to seek comment.





Royster said she never wanted to learn the “full details” of the night Flythe, then 24 years old, strangled another man, and she contends that he acted on behalf of others if he committed the crime at all. A jury, however, ultimately found Flythe guilty of robbing and killing a 47-year-old named Paul McClure. A judge sentenced him to a minimum of 35 years behind bars.

 

[hibachai]

Yikes.

"That process broke down, she said, when it came time for Flythe to be released. Madill said she tried repeatedly tried to connect with prison employees about Flythe’s reentry, but at least a dozen calls and emails went unanswered.

The first time she heard anything concrete from the Bureau of Prisons was on Jan. 27, when an executive assistant with the West Virginia prison emailed her saying that Flythe had been released that morning.

She replied: “He was released this morning???? How is he getting home??? What is his bus schedule? I have been asking for this information for several days.”

A Bureau of Prisons official based in West Virginia later called Madill to tell her, she said, that the prison was not authorized to give her Flythe’s release information — a statement she disputes. The official ultimately told her Flythe should be on a bus arriving in D.C. late that night."

 

[hibachai]

I've just been on greyhound.com and checked it out.

This route leaves Charleston WV at 2.15pm every day, and arrives in Washington D.C. at 03.15am.

The change of buses is in Pittsburgh PA and Baltimore MD.

Change in Pittsburgh PA at 7.15pm and change in Baltimore MD at 02.00am (!!!)

I wouldn't really want to be hanging around bus stations in these cities at those times!
Bus stations the world over are quite often full of unsavoury characters and itinerant down and outs.....and that's just in the daytime!

Schedule

Article above says it was Cleveland and Baltimore. Maybe an error

 

[Luckyzmom]

Any news from LE ? This is abuse. Can't speak, cannot use his arms ...

 

[annpats]

Article above says it was Cleveland and Baltimore. Maybe an error

Hmmmm, could be. It did say Pittsburgh when I looked the route up....

 

[annpats]

Any news from LE ? This is abuse. Can't speak, cannot use his arms ...

It's a disgusting way to treat a disabled person.

 

[Luckyzmom]

They dumped him and left ? Can't contact family ? BS on WV prisons

 

[Luckyzmom]

Greyhound is not safe period anymore

 

[Dargon335]

This is a very unfortunate situation. Hopefully Kevin is found alive and well.

Regarding his disappearance, it appears there's a very specific and rigid procedure that FCI Gilmer staff are required to follow for prisoner release. Apparently a similar, inflexible protocol is followed when notifying family members of upcoming releases. In this case, if Kevin's attorney wasn't explicitly listed as an approved POC then FCI Gilmer officials likely dismissed her calls and emails.

From a 'legal' or 'policy' standpoint it's possible/likely FCI Gilmer staff have no responsibility beyond making sure that Kevin arrived at the bus station.

From a 'human' or 'compassionate' standpoint FCI Gilmer staff would certainly understand that it would be highly unlikely Kevin, travelling alone, in his current physical and mental state, could get on a bus, be expected to handle several layovers and bus changes, and arrive safely at home.

I may have missed this in the MSM links, but do we know who, if anyone, the FCI Gilmer staff contacted prior to Kevin's release?

Regarding Kevin's last known location, the bus company should be able to verify which transfers, if any, Kevin was able to make.

 

[annpats]

Do U.S. prison staff not have a 'duty of care' or any official care protocol to follow regarding people who are severely disabled.

Kevin had cognitive impairment and was non-verbal, and had no use of both his arms!!

How was it acceptable to just dump him on a bus?

Couldn't the prisons have arranged a chaperone through social/health services.....?

 

[Luckyzmom]

Surely the prison has a chaplin....

 

[Dargon335]

Do U.S. prison staff not have a 'duty of care' or any official care protocol to follow regarding people who are severely disabled.

Good question. I'm not familiar with correction facility rules and regulations about prisoner releases. In any case, the rules prescribed would likely change depending on the city and state in question.

Having dealt with various state and federal (non-correctional) agencies over the years, I do know that some agencies follow their policies exactly, without regard for circumstances or even 'common sense', while other agencies are willing to bend or flex policies depending on the circumstances.

Based on what we see in the MSM report, IMO it appears that the FCI Gilmer staff was following their policies to the letter in Kevin's case, regardless of the circumstances involved. Whether or not that was the correct way to handle his prisoner release situation is subjective, but clearly expecting someone in Kevin's condition to be able to handle bus transfers, layovers in unfamiliar cities, etc. without assistance is unrealistic. That's why I was wondering who, if anyone, in Kevin's family was notified of his release in advance.

My understanding is that neither his attorney or his family knew of his release until after it took place.

 

[Dargon335]

So we know Kevin made it to the Charleston, WV bus station, and we know his ticket was used. Supposedly someone actually saw Kevin get on the bus, so it sounds like he was able to leave Charleston. The question is, what happened next?

Did he make it to the next stop Pittsburgh? if so, what happened there? Did anyone see him there? The bus station should have some security video, so we would expect LE has reviewed that video.

Also, did the bus driver(s) make any statements to LE about Kevin?

 

[swanniee11]

Are we sure he actually used the bus ticket?