Hunt on for inmate who escaped from minimum security unit at Monroe prison

Police are searching for an inmate who escaped from the minimum security unit at the Monroe Correctional Complex Friday morning after stealing an employee’s truck.

Police say 59-year-old Patrick Lester Clay appears to have broken into an office during routine maintenance cleaning. He then stole keys to an employee’s truck and drove off the prison grounds.

Washington State Department of Corrections search teams and local police are searching for Clay, who was last seen driving a white, four-door GMC Sierra truck with Washington license plate number C39525X.

At that time he was wearing khaki pants, a khaki jacket and a khaki beanie with white tennis shoes and a yellow DOC vest, but there was a blue-gray zip-up sweatshirt and black ballcap in the truck, which he could be wearing now.

Clay was set to be released on Dec. 24, 2025 for convictions in King County for burglary, malicious mischief, theft, and harassment.

KIRO7 spoke with the Department of Corrections about the escape. According to a spokesperson, Clay was only serving a two year sentence at the facility. Chris Wright with the DOC says this is the 2nd escape in Washington within the past two years.

“I know the number of escapes has gone down for sure, but they do still happen,” Wright said.

Wright says when it comes to how exactly Clay was able to escape so easily, they will look at their protocols once he is in custody.

“You know, I think we are focused on the investigation and finding him at the moment and certainly afterwards, take a look or review of this situation of what exactly happened. And see if there any protocols that can be improved upon. But right now, we are focused on the escape itself,” Wright said.

If you see Clay or the truck do not approach him and call 911 or the Monroe Correctional Complex at 360-794-2720.