Scott County Jail Officer Fired After Inmate Walked Out Of A Hospital
DEVELOPING STORY — we are tracking this one and will update this page as it moves.
A correctional officer at Scott County Jail in Missouri was fired after an inmate in county custody, Kenneth Goeddert, walked away from a hospital where he was being held under the officer’s watch, according to Sheriff Derick Wheetley. Goeddert was recaptured and is back in custody.
Related: Ex Judge Traded Vape Pens For Sexual Contact With Inmate Bodycam
The sheriff’s office says the officer failed two duties at once: properly restraining the inmate, and maintaining constant visual observation. Both failures were cited in the firing.
The officer’s name has not been released. No charges have been announced against the officer as of this update. Whether one ever comes — or whether the state examines how a hospital watch detail could lose a person entirely — is the open question that makes this story worth following.
This story is fact-checked against official statements only. Nothing here is speculation, and nothing is added until it is on the record.
UPDATE LOG
Sept 4, 2026: Story published. Confirmed: escape from hospital custody, recapture, officer fired Sept 1-2, two failures cited by Sheriff Wheetley. Officer unnamed. Five local outlets covering: WPSD, KFVS12, KZIM-KSIM, KBSI FOX23, Daily Dunklin Democrat.
Watching for: the officer’s name, any criminal charge, any policy change at the jail, and the results of any state review.
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