An Idaho prison gang member and an accomplice who fled a Boise hospital in a brazen escape, leaving three corrections officers shot, were apprehended on Thursday after a dramatic manhunt. Authorities are now investigating whether the fugitives were involved in the deaths of two men while on the run.
The chaotic incident unfolded early Wednesday morning when Skylar Meade, 31, serving a 20-year prison sentence, was taken to a Boise hospital for medical treatment. As officers prepared to return him to prison, they were ambushed by Nicholas Umphenour, 28, a fellow inmate of Meade’s. In the ensuing chaos, three officers were shot, prompting a city-wide search for the escapees.
After a tense 24-hour search, Meade and Umphenour were captured without incident following a brief vehicle pursuit in the Twin Falls area. Authorities are now looking into whether the pair were responsible for two separate homicides in Nez Perce County and Clearwater County in Idaho.
The Idaho State Police revealed that shackles found at one of the crime scenes may link the suspects to the killings. The victims’ identities have not been released, and it is unclear if they had any connections to gangs.
Josh Tewalt, director of the Idaho Department of Correction, stated that one injured officer has been released from the hospital, while the other two are in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the hospital ambush, with authorities suspecting it was a premeditated attack.
Meade and Umphenour were both members of the Aryan Knights, a white supremacist prison gang, and had shared acquaintances during their time at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. Meade was serving time for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, while Umphenour’s reason for incarceration remains unknown.
The authorities are also looking into whether the fugitives had been using contraband cellphones to communicate while on the run. Mr. Tewalt emphasized the importance of understanding how the escapees were able to evade security measures.
As the investigation continues, the community is left reeling from the violent events that unfolded during the daring escape and subsequent capture of the two dangerous fugitives.
