BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

DEBORD — Police arrested a Bardstown teen Friday for criminal trespassing at the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy in Debord.

Marcus Durbin, 19, was nearly 200 miles from his Nelson County home when he entered the federal property equipped with a ski mask, hand restraints and a lock-blade folding knife.

Chief Deputy Chris Kidd of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from prison officials around 4:30 p.m. They stated a male individual was wandering and taking photographs in restricted areas of the property.

When approached by law enforcement officers, Durbin claimed he was there to take photos for an academic paper.

“When I asked about the school he attended, he gave me the name of a school in Bardstown, Kentucky,” Deputy Kidd stated. However, Durbin soon recanted his initial story.

“I looked the school up, and as I was making a call, he stopped me, saying, ‘I’m sorry. I lied. I don’t go to school and I’m not writing any type of paper. I really have no reason for being here; I’m just here,’” recounted Deputy Kidd. “He said he stopped there because he was intrigued by the place and had heard about the place.”

Upon further questioning about the suspicious items—the ski mask, hand restraints and knife found in the front seat of his vehicle—Durbin could not explain.

“Considering he had no valid reason for being on the restricted grounds and the items he possessed, I arrested him for criminal trespassing,” remarked Kidd.

The officer noted that signage at the prison entrance warns visitors against bringing weapons onto the premises and explicitly forbids trespassing.

Durbin’s motive for traveling to Martin County remains a mystery.

“His story just wasn’t adding up,” remarked Kidd. “It seemed suspicious.”

Following Durbin’s arrest, his vehicle was towed from the prison grounds.