# Bardstown police capture escaped inmate after weeks on the run  
**Published:** 2026-04-25T16:32:41.000Z  
**Source:** [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/bardstown-police-department-captures-escaped-inmate-after-weeks-long-search)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/bardstown-police-capture-escaped-inmate-after-weeks-on-the-run

BARDSTOWN, Ky. — The Bardstown Police Department has apprehended an inmate who escaped while being transported to the Nelson County Jail more than two weeks ago, according to [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/bardstown-police-department-captures-escaped-inmate-after-weeks-long-search).

Ja'wan McKnight was captured Saturday, about a week after the Nelson County Sheriff's Office issued a public alert on April 10 seeking assistance in locating him. McKnight allegedly escaped during transport to the [Nelson County Jail](https://www.nelsoncountyjail.com/), prompting an extensive search by local law enforcement.

His apprehension comes on the heels of another escape from county detail. Jerry Nation, another inmate, was captured by the Nelson County Sheriff's Office about a week before McKnight's arrest.

McKnight is now being held at the Nelson County Jail without bond. He faces multiple serious charges, including contempt of court, failure to appear in court, trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree involving cocaine, two counts of persistent felony offender in the first degree, promoting contraband in the first degree, and assault in the fourth degree related to domestic violence with minor injury.

The back-to-back escapes raised concerns among Nelson County residents about security procedures during inmate transport. Authorities did not immediately detail what changes, if any, may be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future. The Nelson County Sheriff's Office has not released additional information about the circumstances of either escape or McKnight's capture.

## Sources

- [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/bardstown-police-department-captures-escaped-inmate-after-weeks-long-search)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LEX 18 News. The original source is available at https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/bardstown-police-department-captures-escaped-inmate-after-weeks-long-search.