John Buckley

A Fayette County jury found John Buckley guilty of rape, sodomy, assault, and unlawful imprisonment, but he wasn't there to hear it. Video surveillance from the Fayette County Sheriff's office shows the last time Buckley was in the building, while the jury was deliberating. Since he was out of jail on bond, he was free to come and go during breaks, but after he left this time, police say he never returned.

"A person who's been accused of a very serious crime, they're sitting through a trial, they're watching the evidence, they're getting a feel that they're going to be found guilty. Why would they come back? Obviously this guy chose not to come back. It's as simple as cutting the bracelet off, leaving his phone there so he can't be tracked that way either, and he's gone," said Don Evans, a former Lexington Police detective.

Don Evans is a retired Lexington Police detective.

"Ankle monitors were designed for Lindsay Lohan. Not for rapists, and accused murderers, and your more serious criminals. I mean, that's the bottom line," said Evans.

Jail officials say after he left the courthouse, he went to his house on Denburn Court. They say they later found the ankle monitor on a road near his house.

"There are some that it's as simple as getting an industrial pair of scissors to cut it off. It can be done and it's not a big deal. You're left with an ankle bracelet and no idea where the person you're trying to monitor is," said Evans.

Now, Buckley is on the run, but police say he's got the skills for this kind of situation. He's an Army veteran, a Ranger who was among the first soldiers into Afghanistan in the weeks after 9/11. Because of his extensive combat training, police aren't taking any chances, putting some attorneys and officers under protection.

"it's not often that police have to try to protect their own from situations like this, but that's going on right here because they've got to get this guy in custody. He is now convicted of these crimes. That makes him even more desperate than he was before he cut the bracelet off. It's dangerous for the police officers that are trying to catch him, and it's dangerous for people out there that this guy's going to come in contact with," said Evans.

Police say if you have any idea where Buckley is, you should call 911.