RICHLAND, Miss. (WJTV) – Richland police said they came into contact with the escaped inmate from Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) on Saturday, February 12, before they were made aware of his escape.

Police said they made contact with Michael Wilson at O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Store on Highway 49 in Richland around 7:30 p.m. They said he was wearing a grey hoodie, blue scrub pants and a mask covering his nose and mouth. He had bandages on his forearms and hands and was bleeding from his injuries.

According to police, Wilson gave them a false name and social security number. He told the officer that he had been in a car accident earlier that day in Jackson and was released from a hospital. He said he was looking for a homeless shelter, but no spots were available.

Police determined he needed an ambulance, and he was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) in Jackson.

Richland police said they were informed about the escaped inmate on Sunday, February 13. They then determined that they had come into contact with him the day prior.

MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain released the following statement about the search for Wilson:

MDOC’s Investigative Division has teamed up with the U.S. Marshals office for a multi-state manhunt for escaped prisoner Michael Wilson. We are asking the public to help. If you see something, say something. Wilson sustained substantial cuts and bruises climbing the 12-foot fence at CMCF. He is bandaged on his hands and arms and may have an injury to his right hip. He is 5-foot-11, 160 pounds, with short-cropped brown hair. Please notify local law enforcement if you see him.

Burl Cain, MDOC Commissioner

In July 2018, Wilson escaped from South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville and was captured two days later in Ocean Springs.

He was serving life on three of eight convictions, including two homicides/murders, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary and escape, in Jackson, Harrison, and Greene counties.

The Associated Press contribute to this report.