Buffalo County Sheriff looking for man who escaped while on work release

KEARNEY, NE — Authorities in Central Nebraska are looking for a man they say escaped from custody.

Court documents say 61-year-old Michael Root didn’t return to the Buffalo County Jail following work release on Thursday. He had been wearing a GPS ankle bracelet but jail officials say say they were unable to locate it.

Root was behind bars for being convicted of failing to pay 22 months of child support totaling nearly $17,000. A judge sentenced him to one year in prison and four years probation last August. According to the affidavit related to his escape, Root was scheduled to be released in August 2023.

His court record says he made five requests over the last month for clarification about his bond being transferred to his child support payments.  On July 20, a judge responded with a letter explaining that more than half of his bond had gone towards court costs.