Judge acquits Vero Beach man on trial for escape plot from Indian River County Jail

VERO BEACH — After two days of trial testimony, a judge Wednesday dismissed an escape charge filed against an inmate at the Indian River County Jail accused of hatching an elaborate plot to spring him during a scheduled doctor’s visit.

But John Manchec, 78, wasn’t set free after Senior Judge Joe Wild granted a judgment of acquittal, a rare ruling in a criminal trial ended the proceeding before a jury could deliberate or return a verdict.

Manchec, a native of France who’s lived in Vero Beach since the late 1990s, was returned to jail to await trial on 49 counts of possession of child pornography filed against him in 2014.

His lawyer, Jonathan “Jay” Kirschner, on Wednesday said Wild in his ruling correctly relied on established case law that “talks about the difference between actually committing an attempted escape versus just talking about it.”

“In order to grant a judgment of acquittal, the evidence has to be so clear that the defendant is not guilty that the judge doesn't even let it get to the jury. And that's what Joe Wild did today,” Kirschner said. “(Wild) said there's nothing here; there's not enough to let six citizens decide guilt or innocence. I'm not going to let it get that far because it's that lame of the case.”

Assistant State Attorney William Long, though, strongly disagreed with Wild’s ruling.

He also disagreed with Kirshcner’s arguments in court that the state had failed to prove the “overt acts” required to convict Manchec of escape.

“It was my argument that this was an ongoing escape attempt. That, thank God the Sheriff's Office did the job they did and caught it,” Long said. “I never would have filed on the case or prosecuted if I didn't think we had a strong case and a good faith basis to proceed. Here the facts of this case speak volumes.”

Escape plot

On April 10, sheriff’s investigators discovered Manchec was plotting to escape from jail which involved him arranging a medical appointment “and upon being transported to the facility, someone would break him free of custody,” court records stated.

The plan to flee involved an April 12 doctor’s visit and multiple people employed by Manchec.

After receiving tips about the imminent escape, detectives began monitoring Manchec’s phone calls and found he orchestrated an escape with his employees using the code word “paint job.”

In announcing Manchec’s arrest, Sheriff Eric Flowers said accomplices outside the jail were to wait for Manchec at a medical facility, then “take out” corrections staff before whisking him off to an awaiting plane in Fort Pierce.

Among his luxury assets thought likely to be used in the escape were a plane, a yacht and a black utility van purchased just for the plot, Flowers said.

The plan, Flowers said, was to “escape in his plane, get back to France and he’s never going to have to face these charges.”

Investigators found Manchec paid the bail of a cellmate who went to live in his home and made arrangements for the planned escape, including preparing suitcases with clothes and liquor preference.

Instead, detectives devised a ruse that intercepted the escape attempt during the planned doctor visit.

In all, four people were arrested and charged, all accused of being an accomplice involved with Manchec’s escape plot.

“There's no doubt regarding the defendant’s state of mind,” Long said after court.

Flowers on Wednesday called Manchec’s acquittal a “travesty.”

“It’s a travesty of justice that the idea that purchasing a van, bonding out other inmates to further his plan are not overt acts,” Flowers said. “We did our job to ensure the safety of the community, of medical office or our deputies. We had to take action in this case.

“Presented the same set of circumstances, I’d do the same thing over again. We're not going to take a chance on getting our people hurt when we know that they're planning to hurt us.”

Manchec was first arrested in December 2014 on charges stemming from a state investigation into internet activity of file transfers of videos and images of pornographic material involving children under the ages of 12 and 18.

He left the country after paying a nearly $500,000 bail a week later and returned to Europe, where, since the 90s, he’s owned and renovated a sprawling Medieval estate into a hotel in southwestern France — the Chateau Pechrigal, sheriff's officials said. The estate was put up for auction in 2020, according to Barnebys.com and Concierge Auctions.

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Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at  melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: John Manchec wins acquittal by judge during trial on escape charge