NELSONVILLE, OH (WCMH)– The escape of a convicted murderer from the Southeastern Correctional Complex, in Nelsonville, has the Athens County community on the lookout.

John Modie was noticed missing on Sunday evening, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Within hours of the escape, Hocking College President Betty Young decided to cancel classes through noon, on Monday.

Later, a decision was made to extend the cancelation through the day.

“Safety of our students is always our number one concern,” Young said. “As long as the threat exists, we’re going to do everything we can to keep our students safe.”

In downtown Nelsonville, many business owners chose to open their doors.

“He’s probably running through Wayne National Forest, I’d imagine,” said Chris ‘Beans’ Johnson, owner of Mama Renie’s restaurant.

While not afraid of Modie, some are questioning his placement at the nearby facility.

“It says that he’s already escaped once, and they’ve got him in prison down here that is medium security,” said Glen Burchfield. “You’d think he’d be in maximum security so he couldn’t escape anymore.”

Area law enforcement says Modie is to be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to call 911.What others are clicking on: