BUFFALO, N.Y. -- For the first time, the public is hearing what David Sweat said after his capture, during a series of interviews with State Police, the state's Office of Inspector General and state prison officials.
The New York Times published a front-page story Sunday after obtaining the transcripts, more than 500 pages total.
Sweat had tough words for his fellow escapee, Richard Matt, who was convicted of killing his boss here in Western New York.
Sweat said, "I got in an argument with him because every place we'd go, he'd get drunk ... I'm like, 'Dude, you can't be drunk when we're moving; you've got to be sober.'"
Sweat also talked about Matt's reckless ideas. Sweat would eventually leave Matt behind.
"I said, you know what, I had to do it to him, but I kept my part of the deal, I got him out... and I bolted on him," Sweat told investigators.
Matt was shot and killed nearly 3 weeks after escaping. At the time, Sweat was still on the run. He would be captured two days later.
One of the most colorful portions of his interview with authorities came during his description of one of the cabins that he and Matt broke into.
"I found their weed and everything", Sweat said. "I like to smoke weed every once in a while. It mellows me out, keeps me calm."
Along with drinking moonshine, Sweat said he and Matt "got high as hell for like two nights ... So you know, we'd drink, get high and hang out because there ain't nobody coming up here during the week."
Sweat pleaded guilty to charges, including escape in the first degree. He was sentenced to up to 7 years in prison, which was a formality, since Sweat was already serving a life sentence without the chance of parole.
He's now in a special unit at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, N.Y.