Nov. 7
TEXAS:
Marshals: Escaped Texas inmate captured in Louisiana
A death row inmate who slipped out of a Texas jail last week wearing
street clothes was captured Sunday as he talked on a pay phone in
Shreveport, La., about 200 miles away, authorities said.
Charles Victor Thompson had a bicycle with him when Shreveport police,
acting on a tip, approached him around 8 p.m. Sunday, Harris County
Sheriff's Lt. John Martin said.
"He was standing in front of a liquor store and appeared to be
intoxicated," Martin said.
When the officers asked his name, he said "You know who I am," then he
identified himself as Charles Thompson, Martin said.
Martin wouldn't discuss the tip that lead to Thompson's arrest and said
authorities were still trying to determine exactly how Thompson got from
Houston to Louisiana and if he had help in his escape. A $10,000 reward
had been offered for information leading to his capture.
Thompson, 35, is scheduled to be in court Monday in Shreveport, and if he
waives extradition, he will be returned to Texas immediately, Martin said.
"He never should have got out," Martin said. "To have him back in custody
again, this is where he belongs. He was convicted of capital murder. He
was twice sentenced to death. There is no scenario under which he should
be free roaming around on the street."
Thompson was convicted in 1999 for the shooting deaths a year earlier of
his ex-girlfriend, Dennise Hayslip and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith
Cain. An appeals court threw out his sentence, but on Oct. 28, another
jury sentenced him to death.
On Thursday, Thompson was in the Harris County Jail awaiting transfer to a
state prison when he was taken to a room for a meeting with an attorney,
though not his attorney of record, authorities said.
After the attorney left, Thompson was alone. Somehow, he removed his
handcuffs, changed out of his bright orange prison jumpsuit into the
clothes he wore during his sentencing, and got out of the prisoner's booth
in the visiting room, authorities said.
Using a falsified ID badge, he got past at least four jail employees and
walked out of the building.
Martin had said Friday that Thompson's escape resulted from "multiple
errors" by jail personnel. He said the attorney who had met with Thompson
was not believed to have been involved in the escape.
The escape frightened his victim's relatives, who were notified by
authorities and given police protection. Prosecutors had earlier accused
Thompson of trying to hire hit men to kill witnesses against him, as well
as members of Hayslip's family.
Hayslip's mother, Wynona Donaghy, said Sunday night that she was extremely
relieved after hearing of the arrest and finally felt safe returning to
her home.
(source: Associated Press)
