For one Broome County family, knowing prisoner David Sweat is on the loose is especially difficult. Emily Lorsch spoke with the Tarsia family and explains why this escape has brought back so many emotions.
Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Tarsia's family is still haunted by the day he was gunned down by burglars at a Kirkwood park.
"Everybody we talked to our friends said you don't have to worry, he's behind bars," said his father Phillip.
But that's no longer true. Kevin Tarsia's killer, David Sweat, is one of the two convicted murderers who escaped a maximum security state prison in the North Country Saturday.
"You never, can never expect everything is going to turn out the way you want it to be," he said.
In 2002, Tarsia was the first member of the sheriff's office to be killed in the line of duty. Now with the escape, Tarsia family members said it feels like an old wound has been ripped wide open.
"The drama gets to you after a while. The phone rings, and it just goes on and on. You're always looking over your shoulder, you don't know what's going on anymore. But we have to go with the time and it's not our choice what the government and state does," said Phillip.
The Tarsias believe Sweat deserves the death sentence for what he did.
"They just didn't kill him. They ran him over, they shot his nose off, they shot him in the hand, they shot him all over the place -- 15 shots," said Kevin's brother Daniel.
And now with Sweat on the loose, "I try not to think about it. I just hope he's not after me," Daniel added.
They're scared, angry, and most of all, just hoping authorities find Kevin's killer so their family can finally have closure.
Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kevin Tarsia was 36 years old and a 13-year veteran of the department when he was killed.