Appeals court rules against Arizona prison break accomplice

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – The accomplice in an Arizona prison break that preceded the killings of an Oklahoma couple in New Mexico has lost her appeal.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a trial judge’s ruling that federal prosecutors didn’t violate Casslyn Welch’s plea agreement.

That agreement led to her being sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Welch helped three Arizona prisoners escape from the Kingman prison in August 2010. She and two of the prisoners were charged in the carjacking killings of Linda and Gary Haas of Tecumseh, Oklahoma.

Welch argued that prosecutors broke an oral promise to not oppose a 20-year sentence for her, but prosecutors said no such promise was made.

The appeals court cited Welch’s written plea agreement and said any alleged oral promises were unenforceable.