By Nicholas Dorsten, Esq.
From yahoo news, a story that shows you can run but you can't hide...
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - Authorities on Wednesday captured a man in Colorado who escaped nearly 32 years ago from the Florida prison where he was serving a life sentence for murder.
The man, Frederick Barrett, 60, slipped away from the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford during a nighttime power outage on August 17, 1979, over 30 years ago.
U.S. Marshals Service officers, dressed as U.S. Forest Service firefighters, arrested Barrett early on Wednesday at his cabin in Montrose County, Colorado. He had been living in the remote, mountainous area under the assumed name Neil Meltzer, Florida officials said.
A tattoo of a cross and dot on his right hand helped officers confirm they had the right man, said a special agent supervisor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Investigators had been looking for Barrett in earnest since 2009, when a new fugitive initiative in Florida set its sights on finding a dozen long-term prison escapees with violent histories.
"It's really, really difficult to track somebody who's been out 30 years," the investigator said. "The trail was cold."
But using public records and databases, investigators found evidence Barrett had traveled to Hawaii, California, Tennessee and Maryland since his escape and eventually appeared to settle in Colorado.
In addition to escape charges in Florida, Barrett now faces drug and gun charges in Colorado after marshals found a marijuana grow house and multiple firearms in his home, officials said.
Barrett was convicted of killing a traveling companion on the Florida Turnpike in February 1971.
According to officials, he choked the victim from behind as he was driving. Barrett and another man then stopped the car, carried the victim to a shallow ditch filled with water and held his head underneath until he died.
The victim's niece, said her 26-year-old uncle had picked the men up at a rest stop as he drove from New Jersey to Florida for a vacation.
The deceased man's family members welcomed the news of Barrett's capture after so many years.
Have you or a loved one been arrested for a possession of a controlled substance or a violent felony? Then contact the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys of Blake & Dorsten, P.A. for a free consultation!
For more information, or to speak directly with experienced St. Petersburg criminal defense lawyers please contact BLAKE & DORSTEN, P.A. at 727.286.6141 or email the lawyers your questions at: info@blakedorstenlaw.com. We are located at 4707 140th Ave N, Suite 104 in Clearwater, across from the criminal courthouse in the airport business center, minutes from Tampa and St. Petersburg.
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