Sometime before the movie began, Cyrus Grissom has committed murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion and other criminal acts. He had spent 25 years in jail as it started at the age of 14. He earned two degrees while in jail, murdered 11 inmates, instigated 3 riots and escaped lawful custody twice. He is first seen being boarded onto the Jailbird plane along with several other inmates. He often bragged that he had "killed more men than cancer". When an inmate named Pinball starts a fire and opens the locks, Cyrus takes a needle out of his skin and unlocks himself. He then takes the plane over and calls the flight Con Air. His boss is Francisco Cindino, a South American drug lord.