Questions linger days after prisoners escape

James Douglas Mitchell is back behind bars after taking police on a manhunt Friday afternoon, but questions about the incident's timeline and specifics still remain.

The Department of Corrections held a press conference Tuesday but left much unsaid, admitting only that a standard investigation into staff actions, transportation policies and Mitchell's potential activities is being conducted. 

Preliminary reports from the DOC suggest the other eight prisoners in the stolen van were not involved in any criminal activity and were cooperative when apprehended. 

The incident started when MItchell overtook a driver transporting himself and eight other inmates during a stop near Lino Lakes. Five of the nine inmates were taken back into custody in Mounds View, with the other three remaining prisoners found inside the van in north Minneapolis. 

Mitchell was apprehended at the 35W and 8th Street Bridge near Dinkytown in Minneapolis, but DOC officials gave no indication as to how he traveled the more than five miles to where police found him. 

He was originally arrested in October 2016 for hitting a U.S. Marshal with a stolen SUV.