http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,174721,00.html

Escaped Convict Captured

Sunday, November 06, 2005

HOUSTON — The search for a death row inmate who walked unnoticed out of a Texas county jail ended Sunday evening as Charles Victor Thompson was captured in Shreveport, La., the U.S. Marshal Service says.

Marianne Matus, a Marshals spokeswoman in Houston, confirmed convicted killer Charles Victor Thompson was in custody. No other details were immediately available.

The U.S. Marshals Office (search) were offering a $10,000 reward for the capture of Charles Victor Thompson (search) and designated him a federal fugitive.

Thompson, 35, of the Houston suburb of Tomball (search), escaped Thursday after meeting with an attorney, though not his defense attorney of record, authorities said. He was condemned in 1999 for the shooting deaths of ex-girlfriend Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30.

On Saturday, Investigators had found the civilian clothing Thompson wore when he left the building. It was behind one of the sheriff's department's other downtown jail buildings, and some effort had been made to hide it, he said.

"It's pretty clear at this point there was somebody helping him," Lt. John Martin of the Harris County Sheriff's Department said.

Authorities also found the fake ID badge Thompson used, which turned out to be an inmate ID card with his photograph issued by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (search). Thompson had put a piece of tape over the part of the card that indicates he is an inmate.

Thompson was in the county jail awaiting transfer to a state prison. A jury sentenced him to death Oct. 28 after an appeals court threw out an earlier sentence.

On Thursday, Thompson was taken to a room in the jail for a meeting with his attorney. The visitor, however, was not Thompson's attorney of record, Terrence Gaiser.

Martin said investigators have determined the other person was an attorney, but his name was not released because he is considered a witness.

"We are not necessarily suggesting he was involved with the escape, but we will be speaking with everybody who had contact with Thompson," Martin said.

After the visitor left, Thompson removed his handcuffs and his bright orange prison jumpsuit and got out of a prisoner's booth that should have been locked. He then left wearing a dark blue shirt, khaki pants and white tennis shoes, and claiming to work for the Texas attorney general's office.

Authorities believe the clothes were the same that Thompson wore during his sentencing. Martin said Thompson somehow smuggled them back to his cell.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

They'll kill him for this one.

This should be one of those things where, it's such an amazing thing that he sunk out, you should just let him go anyway. Like when you find some old lady's purse and bring it back to her money and all, and she just gives you all the money in it for being honest and not taking it.

Yea, these two situations are completely similar. Granted, the mo-mo's in charge blew it, but ole' lady money/ death row inmate, no comparison. 'A' for effort though.

Good luck with your habeas petition.

I can see his point though... ever since death row moved from Huntsville to the Polunsky Unit in Livingston it's been complete hell. They're in solitary confinement for 23 hrs a day and don't get to participate in any kind of activities like they used to be able to.

It's actually precisely because of a failed escape attempt back in 1998 that it got moved.

Ah well.

disclaimer: shades-go-down does not endorse escaping from custody of any kind.

By the way, it should be pointed out that Thompson was not actually on the row when he escaped. He was still in Houston in the Harris County Sheriff's Department's facility. He was supposed to be taken out to Livingston next week or so.

Escaping from the Polunsky Unit is cerifiably impossible.

Do you have a professional relationship with the texas correctional system, or are Texans just proud of their jails?

I'm currently working on some capital cases and have visited clients there.

But people in Huntsville and Livingston are proud of the correctional system. If you're ever arrested in those towns, make sure your attorney files a motion for change of venue, 'cos your jurors aren't gonna give you a fair trial!