Woman thought gay inmate would marry her after escape

• Inmate admitted to lying about blood in his urine to secure an out-of-prison doctor's visit
• DOC officials became suspicious and cancelled trip
• DCI found Lloyd White Face and Klinghagen later that morning with car filled with guns
• "They were going to probably leave her dead by the side of the road."

A Sioux Falls woman who dreamed of fleeing her mundane life and running away with a gay prison inmate who'd convinced her he'd changed was sentenced to five years in prison Friday morning.

Jamie Lynn Klinghagen, 46, spent $30,000 of her own money helping paroled inmate Lloyd White Face plan an escape for Silver McClanahan, a convicted killer who'd met Klinghagen while she worked for the prison's catering service.

Defense lawyer Jeff Larson said Friday that Klinghagen was so blinded by McClanahan's romantic advances that she didn't realize it was McClanahan and White Face who planned to run away together if the escape worked.

Inmate admits to lying about blood in urine to set up escape attempt

John Hult Cops and Courts blog

"She went through a period of personal difficulty. She was having some troubles with her daughter, she lost her home to a fire, and then she ran into one of the most serious cons I've ever come across," defense lawyer Jeff Larson said, referring to McClanahan. "At a time someone needed a fairy tale to attach to, someone offered her a fairy tale."

White Face and Klinghagen each pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault against law enforcement this year for a gun-heavy escape plan cut off by DOC officials on June 25, the day the duo had planned to ambush a transport van.

McClanahan admitted last month to lying about blood in his urine to secure an out-of-prison doctor's visit that day. DOC officials became suspicious of the trip, however, and the trip was canceled. Detectives with the Division of Criminal Investigation found White Face and Klinghagen later that morning.

They also found a van filled with pistols, rifles, shotguns, ammunition, tear gas, bullet-proof vests, camping supplies and a stockpile of McClanahan's favorite foods, prosecutor Tom Hensley said Friday.

McClanahan was the prime planner of the escape, Hensley said, but it might have remained a fantasy in his own mind without the help of Klinghagen. She was gainfully employed, so she had money. She had no criminal history, so she could purchase an arsenal.

White Face, Hensley said, was set to play the role of "takedown guy" in the plot, but McClanahan needed "a rational, stable woman outside the prison walls" to help make that happen.

Klinghagen might have been struggling and open to suggestion in April of 2013, when the plot began to emerge, but prosecutors say she had multiple chances between then and June 25 to step back and reevaluate what she was doing.

"Every time she made one of those (gun) purchases, she had the chance to turn away from the fantasy and make a rational decision," Hensley said.

Klinghagen's plea deal in January capped her prison time at five years, in part because she was prepared to testify against the co-defendants and spent time with prosecutors preparing her testimony.

"For what she's carried out, she might have never seen her grandchildren again," Hensley said.

Larson noted that the five-year deal was appropriate, considering how quickly Klinghagen came to her senses after her arrest. She's been in jail since her arrest, and has been so well-behaved while there that she's spent 121 days as a "trusty" – nearly unheard of for pre-trial inmate charged with so serious a felony.

The irony, Larson said, was that if the escape plan were carried out, Klinghagen would have become a victim herself. She was told there would eventually be a wedding, that she and McClanahan would start a new life together.

It was White Face and McClanahan who'd planned to change their identities and traverse the country as a couple.

"They were going to probably leave her dead by the side of the road," Larson said.

Klinghagen declined to make a statement in court.

Judge Joseph Neiles told Klinghagen he felt the plea agreement was fair, as her time in jail, the destruction of her formerly-stable life, her pride and her savings was likely enough to keep her from committing another crime.

"I don't think spending time in the penitentiary would do much good for you in the long run," Neiles said. "In fact, it might be counterproductive. It's going to expose you to people who I think it would be best that you not hang around."

Even so, he said, Klinghagen's sentence must send a message to those who might consider planning such an escape in the future.

Because her conviction counts as a crime of violence, South Dakota law dictates that she'll need to serve at least half of her five-year sentence before being eligible for parole.

White Face was sentenced in May to five years in prison and another 15 years of suspended time for his role in the conspiracy. McClanahan, who already is serving a life sentence for manslaughter, was given an additional five years in prison last month.