An Owensville man escaped from the Maries County Sheriff's Office while being processed.

The Office of Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman posted on their Facebook page that they are looking for Christopher Koepke, 35. A bail bondsman tricked Koepke into going to the sheriff's office on Monday. Once Koepke was there, deputies informed him he had several active warrants related to drugs and traffic violations.

The sheriff's office posted that due to staff being out with Covid-19, they were short-staffed. That allowed Koepke to get away while he was being booked. They also blame Koepke's escape on the need for updates at the sheriff's office and the jail.

Anyone who knows where Koepke is should contact the Maries County Sheriff's Office at (573) 422-3381, or they can contact them on their Facebook page.

Koepke's original warrants were for Failure to Appear in Court for Felony Possession of Controlled Substance, misdemeanor Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and two misdemeanor traffic violations. He now faces a felony charge of Escape from Custody.