CNN
—
Police are investigating two murders that may be linked to an Idaho inmate and an accomplice who allegedly shot a state correctional officer Wednesday and helped him escape from a hospital visit, police said. announced.
After a 36-hour manhunt, inmate Skyler Meade and the alleged gunman were arrested Thursday afternoon in Twin Falls, Idaho, two hours from where Meade escaped from St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Nicholas Amphenol was captured. said the authorities.
According to Josh Tewalt, the coordinated attack and escape began early Wednesday morning when Meade was escorted from the hospital by corrections officers who had taken him to the hospital last night after he committed “self-harm” at the Idaho Maximum Security Facility. It is said that he woke up while he was being treated. Director of the Idaho Department of Corrections.
Police said three Idaho correctional officers who were escorting the inmate were ambushed by a gunman, who shot and killed two of them, and the inmate and his accomplice fled in a getaway car.
After Mead and Amphenol's arrests, police said Thursday they were investigating two other murders in the past 24 hours in different locations in Nez Perce and Clearwater counties that were “possibly related to the escape.” It was announced that there was.
Meade's shackles were found at one of the murder scenes, and the men had possession of one of the victims' cars, said Lt. Col. Sheldon Kelly of the Idaho State Police. The county coroner will soon release more details about the men's identities and how they died.
Boise Police Chief Ron Weinger said at a news conference Thursday that the two suspects were arrested “before this path of destruction could spread any further.”
Officials said that in addition to the two officers who were allegedly shot and killed by the suspect, a third correctional officer was injured by gunfire from responding officers. Two of the officers were in stable condition Thursday, Tewald said, and a third officer was released Wednesday night.
Here's what we know about the escape and investigation so far.
Twin Falls County Sheriff/Bosey Police Department
Skyler Mead (left) and Nicholas Amphenol were captured Thursday in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Tewalt said Mead and Amphenol have ties to the white supremacist group Aryan Knights. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Aryan Knights are a white supremacist prison gang primarily based in Idaho. Tewalt said this is “one of several security threat groups” being monitored by the Idaho Department of Corrections.
In addition to their ties to white supremacist groups, Mead and Amphenol had mutual acquaintances in custody and in the community, Tewalt said. Tewalt said the men shared housing at the correctional facility at some point between Dec. 29, 2020 and Unfenur's release on Jan. 17, 2024.
Meade was convicted in October 2016 of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm. Winegar said he has a large criminal record and is a documented gang member. He was scheduled to be released in 2036.
Winegar said Mead has tattoos on his face of the numbers “1” and “11,” representing the group.
Officials said at a Thursday news conference that more information about Umphenol's criminal history and time served will be provided in the coming days.
Amfenour is now charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and aiding and abetting escape, according to a Wednesday police news release.
“Their gang involvement does not necessarily indicate that this is some kind of gang-sanctioned event,” Tewald said at a news conference.
Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman, Associated Press
A police vehicle is parked outside St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Boise, Idaho.
Law enforcement said they will investigate exactly how the escape occurred while the inmate was in custody.
“This is a planned event and we are putting all our resources into trying to understand exactly how they planned it,” Tewald said.
Tewalt said two correctional officers rode with Meade in an ambulance to the hospital before he fled, and a pursuit vehicle followed. Tewalt said that in high-risk situations, such as Meade's hospital visit, inmates are typically surrounded by two unarmed staff members, with an armed staff member keeping watch. Meade was restrained while being escorted from the hospital, Tewalt said.
Correctional officers were preparing to take Meade back to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, about 11 miles away, when a gunman opened fire on them just after 2 a.m. Wednesday, Winegar said. He fired shots, hitting two of them. Meade and Amphenol then fled the scene in a getaway vehicle just before police arrived, authorities said.
Officials said a third corrections officer was injured by responding officers, who believed the gunman was inside the emergency department and saw an armed person near the door. That's what it means.
Officials said officers who responded Wednesday initially thought it was a hospital shooting and rushed to ensure the safety of those inside the building. Police said the hospital was closed for a period of time, but has since reopened.
“This brazen, violent and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel to facilitate the escape of a dangerous inmate was carried out in emergency departments, where people often come seeking medical help in the most dire of situations. It took place right in front of the police,” Winegar said in a news release after the shooting. “We are grateful that no lives were lost in this tragic incident, and we are monitoring the injured IDOC personnel with high hopes for a full and speedy recovery for all involved.”
Law enforcement agencies across Idaho began investigating and searching for the escaped inmate and shooting suspect Wednesday morning, according to a police news release.
“This investigation has expanded significantly over the past 24 to 36 hours and involves a variety of organizations and crimes across the state of Idaho,” Winegar said at a news conference Thursday.
Detectives eventually located the Honda Civic used in the getaway near Leland, Idaho, police said. In a Thursday news release, law enforcement said the capture was successful thanks to “hundreds of tips from the public.”
Idaho State Police will continue to investigate the homicide and provide updates on the investigation and suspect while Boise Police investigate the inmate escape and the Ada County Sheriff's Office investigates the officers involved in the shooting. According to the announcement.
Less than 1% of incarcerated people escape each year, said Jeff Mellow, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Given how difficult it is for individuals to break out of prison, Merrow suspects someone tipped off that Mead was going to visit the hospital. Mellow added that even though he has taken extensive safety precautions, correctional officers must remain extremely vigilant at all times.
Tewalt said that because of Mead's medical history, the hospital had tighter security than normal protocol.
“From the initial review of the event, the facility's leadership in authorizing the increase of its transportation and resources, the conduct and performance of its staff, and the execution of its transportation were fully consistent with our policies and practices.” Tewald said.
“At this point, I'm really relieved to be able to say that our policies were followed…In fact, they went above and beyond,” Tewald said.
But Tewalt said his office will consider whether staff complied with the policies and practices and “whether the policies and practices were adequate to maintain the safety and security of the staff.”