Accused Prison Worker's Husband Knew Nothing, LawyerSays

An attorney for Lyle Mitchell, the husband of the prison worker in jail on charges that she helpedtwo convicted murderers escape from a prison in upstate New York, told ABC News today that hisclient knew nothing about the alleged escape plan, as state police asked the owners of videosurveillance or trail cameras to check their footage for suspicious activity.

"He was just in shock," Peter Dumas said.

Dumas said that on June 6, the night that convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweatescaped from the Dannemora, New York, prison, Lyle Mitchell and Joyce Mitchell had left theClinton Correctional Facility, where they both worked and stopped at a Chinese restaurant fordinner.

During their drive home, Joyce Mitchell complained of chest pains, Dumas said, and Lyle Mitchelltook her to the hospital. Not long afterward, Lyle Mitchell heard from the police about the escape.

"He thought they were just following up on all the employees in the area," Dumas said.

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PHOTO: Lyle Mitchell, the husband of prison employee Joyce Mitchell, was pictured as he left hiswife's attorney's office on June 16, 2015.

Inside the Mitchell family home in Dickinson Center, New York, are two paintings done by Matt andgiven as gifts to Joyce Mitchell, one even of the couple's son, he said.

"These paintings were apparently so good. ... Lyle didn't have any part in having the paintings donebut they were at the house," Dumas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lawyer said. "He knew aboutthem."

Prosecutors said Wednesday that Joyce Mitchell had admitted to investigators that she'd had sexwith Matt in the tailor shop. They also said that Mitchell had told investigators she had discussed analleged plot with the prisoners to have them kill her husband.

The connection between Mitchell and both Sweat and Matt came http://nitasailor.blogspot.comunder scrutiny after their escape via a steam pipe as investigators alleged that she was supposed tobe the getaway driver for the inmates. According to court documents she allegedly provided the menwith hacksaw blades and chisels as well as other contraband.

Dumas said that Lyle Mitchell had visited Joyce Mitchell in jail this week. Dumas said that they'dtalked about the alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill him that prosecutors said she'd discussed withthe inmates.

"She told Lyle she didn't want to go through with it and because of her hesitancy, she was beingthreatened by the individuals," Dumas said.

New York State Police today made a public pitch today to homeowners and hunters who have videosurveillance or trail cameras in the region to check their footage for any suspicious activity sinceJune 6.

Authorities were also checking seasonal camps and abandoned buildings in the region and sweepingtrails and railroad beds looking for any signs of the two escapees.

Nearly two weeks after the prison break, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervisionalso said today that it would lift the lockdown at the prison and begin to return to normal facilityoperations. State police still planned to maintain a strong and visible presence in the region, withmore than 160 troopers assigned to patrol the communities surrounding the prison 24 hours a day.

So far, state, federal and local law enforcement officers have cleared more than 160 unoccupiedbuildings and seasonal homes, and have searched 585 miles of railroad beds and trails. As of today,more than 1,500 leads have been generated.

On Wednesday, police said there were no "concrete leads" suggesting that the two escaped inmateshad left the area of the New York prison, though officials had decided to expand the search area.

ABC News' Gio Benitez, Jared Wiener and Aaron Katersky contributed to this story.