Armed and Dangerous Prison Escapee! Is He Hiding Out in Upstate NY?
Armed and Dangerous: Manhunt is On After Prison Break
A massive manhunt is underway for a man that authorities believe is armed and dangerous, and getting help from the outside, after he escaped from prison last week in Pennsylvania.
Police say the inmate, Michael Burham, 34, fled Warren County Prison late Thursday by climbing on exercise equipment, scaling through a window, and then lowered himself to freedom using a rope he made from jail bedding.
Burham was being held on 26 counts related to arson, kidnapping, and burglary charges, when he escaped, according to the NY Post.
Last Seen
According to officials, he was last seen wearing an orange/white striped jumpsuit, a denim jacket, and Crocs.
He is considered very dangerous, and the public is asked to be vigilant and report anything out of the ordinary.
We are asking that if you see Burham, call 911 or the appropriate Law Enforcement Agency having jurisdiction immediately and do NOT approach or try to apprehend him.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department anonymous tip line at 716-483-8477. All calls and tips will be kept confidential.
According to the NY Post, Burham is under investigation in homicide and rape cases in Jamestown, NY, and as of Monday, state and federal officers, including those from the US Marshals Service, joined the search for Burham.
Here's what else we learned about Michael Burham
- Burham is a suspect in the May 11 death of Kala Hodgkin in Jamestown, New York, whom he had previously been accused of raping, according to the NY Post.
- He then reportedly led police on a previous chase for nearly two weeks before being captured on May 24.
- Jamestown is roughly 20 miles from the Warren County Jail
- Investigators believe he may have changed his clothing, and he could be holed up in a wooded area near Warren, but they're also not ruling out a return to New York.
- U.S. Marshals are offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to his arrest. Warren Crime Stoppers is also issuing a $2,000 reward.
- Burham is also accused of kidnapping an elderly couple during his previous escape. The couple alleged Burham took them from their home, drove them in their vehicle to North Carolina, then released them physically unharmed, according to the FBI.
- Michael Burham is “a self-taught survivalist with military experience" who could be quite comfortable holing himself up in the woods for a long period of time.
- Anyone with information is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department anonymous tip line at 716-483-8477. All calls and tips will be kept confidential.
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