Man accused in 3 Sudbury homicides escapes from local jail: police

Police in northeastern Ontario say a man accused in three Sudbury-area homicides in the past few months has escaped from the local jail.

The Greater Sudbury Police Service shared little information about when 33-year-old Joel Roy was believed to have fled the facility, but issued a release about his escape on Saturday evening. Staff Sgt. Sherry Young says he remains at large as of Sunday night.

Police say Roy was in custody in relation to three recent homicides, none of which have yet gone to trial.

Past police news releases show Roy was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in December 2022 after an alleged shooting at a local hotel.

Police laid an additional, unrelated murder charge against him in April after the body of a man reported missing months earlier surfaced in a wooded area near the city.

Police say Roy, who they warn the public not to approach, is five feet six inches tall and 150 pounds with a medium build. They say he has shoulder-length, light brown hair that may be tied in a ponytail, green eyes, a scar on his right cheek and tattoos on his chest and right forearm.

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