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1 who escaped from Eastern State psychiatric hospital still on run; 1 in custody

Signage for Eastern State Hospital along near Williamsburg.

State police took one man into custody after two escaped Saturday from a psychiatric hospital in James City County. The second man, who is from Virginia Beach, remains at large.

Eastern State Hospital contacted state police Sunday morning to request help locating the men, who are both convicted felons with warrants on file. Police believe the two men damaged an interior wall of the building to make their escape.

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Austin Preston Leigh, 31, was taken into custody by Chesapeake police without incident around 5:45 p.m. Sunday, police said. He is being held at Chesapeake City jail without bond.

Leigh had outstanding drug warrants out of Chesapeake. The Department of Behavioral Health and Development also had a warrant for Leigh for escaping a mental facility.

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Police said Leigh did not know the whereabouts of the second escaped man — Virginia Beach resident Bryant Marcus Wilkerson. Police are still searching for Wilkerson, 29, who is wanted on a felony probation violation and for escaping a mental facility, according to a news release from state police.

Online court records for Wilkerson show several criminal convictions, including destroying a fire protection system in a correctional facility, larceny and fleeing from law enforcement.

Bryant Marcus Wilkerson

Leigh’s criminal history includes attempted prescription fraud, several drug charges and failure to appear in court for a felony charge, according to court records.

Anyone who can help to locate Wilkerson is asked to call Virginia State Police at 757-424-6800 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

Jessica Nolte, 757-912-1675, jnolte@dailypress.com

Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com

For the record

A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the date that the men escaped from Eastern State Hospital. The men escaped Saturday night, according to state police.


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