Even now, over 50 years, Mid-Michigan residents still talk about this 1975 escape from Jackson prison…..by those who remember it and those who were somehow involved. A few weeks before the escape, the movie Breakout was in theaters, a Charles Bronson film that was about a prison escape. Coincidence or inspiration?
It occurred on the morning of June 6, 1975 a little after 10:00 am. A helicopter had the guts to fly over the prison walls and briefly land near the stamping plant…long enough for one of the prisoners to climb aboard and soar to freedom. The ‘copter pilot had been ambushed by several hijackers and forced to fly into the prison yard, where it landed near the old 1896 schoolhouse at M-106 and Meridian Road.
After spraying mace into the face of the helicopter pilot – in an attempt to gain some extra escape time – few people jumped out of the copter and raced to vehicles that had been placed and waiting.
Download the WFMK Mobile App Now
However, in doing so, one of the men missed his opportunity to get away in a vehicle. That man was Dale Remling, who trekked 12 miles for the next day and a half, hiding from passing vehicles, until he got to Leslie in Ingham County. Once in Leslie, Remling made his big mistake. He decided to head into the local bar to rest and have some drinks (anyone know which bar this was?)…