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Pennsylvania escaped inmate Michael Burham captured following 9-day manhunt: Police
By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten
Published July 15, 2023
Escaped fugitive murder suspect Michael Charles Burham has been taken into custody "at gunpoint" by Pennsylvania State Police, authorities confirmed Saturday.
In a 7:30 p.m. press conference PSP Lt. Col. George Bivens shared details surrounding the apprehension of Burham, after a nine-day coordinated manhunt with state and local police.
Michael Burham in an undated photo. Burham, a suspected killer, escaped a Pennsylvania jail last week by allegedly climbing down a rope made from bedsheets. (Fox News Digital)
At 3:57 p.m. on Saturday, some residents called in tip for a "suspicious individual" in Cnewango Township in Warren County, Pennsylvania, police said.
Police say that a barking dog raised the suspicion of its owner, after Burham appeared in the rear of their Pennsylvania home.
MANHUNT LAUNCHED AFTER MURDER SUSPECT WHO WROTE HE'S 'NOT SORRY' ESCAPES PENNSYLVANIA JAIL
The homeowner went outside to check on his barking dog and found the escaped prisoner in the backyard of his property, police said.
They had a brief conversation where Burham allegedly told the owner that he was on a "camping trip," police said.
The homeowner recognized Burham, and contacted local police, tipping authorities to where the fugitive was located.
Michael Burham in his Army Reserve uniform in an undated photo. Burham, a suspected killer, escaped a Pennsylvania jail last week by allegedly climbing down a rope made from bedsheets. (Fox News Digital)
In a coordinated effort, a significant amount of law enforcement, air support, and K-9s formed a "very large perimeter" around where authorities believed Burham was hiding from arrest, police said.
By 5:50 p.m., Burham was in custody, police said.
He was "tracked through the woods" where he eventually encountered perimeter troopers, Bivins said.
Although he attempted to hide in the woods, police surrounded him and took him into custody.
Bivins said Burham looked "tired" and "worn out" at his arrest. He was still wearing his orange prison pants, turned inside out, police said.
This booking photo provided by the Warren, Pa., City Police Department shows Michael Burham. Authorities searching for the inmate described by police as "very dangerous" who used bedsheets to escape from a northwestern Pennsylvania jail on Thursday, July 6, 2023. (Warren City Police Department via AP)
Police have not determined where the escaped fugitive will be housed following his arraignment.
Bivins said that he will not return to Warren County Jail, where the 34-year-old escaped nine days earlier.
MICHAEL BURHAM MANHUNT: TIMELINE THAT LED TO ROOFTOP ESCAPE FROM PENNSYLVANIA JAIL
The manhunt, which included more than 200 officers from 15 federal, state and local agencies, began after Burham escaped from the Pennsylvania jail July 6.
Burham, an Army veteran with survivalist and firearms training, was being held on kidnapping and related charges and is also suspected of murder and rape charges in New York.
The charges in New York stem from an interstate crime spree that ended in his arrest in South Carolina after a previous manhunt in May.
FILE: The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina shared this image after Michael Burham's capture on May 23, following a manhunt that began with violent crimes in New York and Pennsylvania. (Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, File)
Police say that the suspected murderer made his way through the jail's gym to the rooftop late July 6.
Burham was able to climb down with a rope made from bedsheets, authorities said.
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After escaping, he snuck off into the night in a denim jacket and a jail issued orange-striped jumpsuit and matching Crocs at around 11:20 p.m., police said.
Pennsylvania State Police have not shared whether Burham will face additional charges for escaping from county jail and evading arrest.
Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/pennsylvania-escaped-fugitive-murder-suspect-michael-burham-taken-into-custody