FAYETTE &8212; The Jefferson County Sheriff&8217;s Department is investigating the case of an inmate who escaped from the Jefferson County Correctional Facility..

Inmate Larry &8220;Chopper&8221; Ellis was serving 25 years for burglary, larceny and escape from Warren and Issaquena counties. He was found missing during an inmate count at 11:30 a.m. Monday after a work detail on the facility grounds.

Sheriff Peter Walker could not confirm whether the death of an 81-year-old woman in Fayette is thought to be connected to the escape.

&8220;That&8217;s still under investigation,&8221; Walker said.

Ellis, 51, is a black male who stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 186 pounds. He has multiple tattoos, including a heart with a ribbon and the name &8220;Mickey&8221; on his right arm and crossbones with the number 6 under it on his left arm.

Anyone with information on Ellis should call local authorities or call Mississippi Department of Corrections Investigators at (601) 359-5600, 359-5604 or (601) 573-2276.

Ellis&8217; escape happened just a few weeks after an inmate serving a murder sentence escaped from the same facility, which sits across a highway from two schools.

On Sept. 14, inmate Darrell Edward Tuggle was captured in a Fayette house without incident two days after he was found to be missing from the facility after an inmate count.

Tuggle is serving a life sentence for homicide and burglary from Jasper County and now faces an additional escape charge.

On Tuesday, Walker said an employee he won&8217;t yet name has been placed on administrative leave pending an MDOC investigation following the escapes.

&8220;I&8217;ll say this &8212; it involved (employees) not doing what they&8217;re supposed to do,&8221; Walker said. &8220;We&8217;re supposed to have inmate counts every hour.&8221;