Questions remain after convicted rapist captured in West Virginia
LEE COUNTY, Ark. — There are still a lot of questions surrounding the escape of Arkansas inmate Samuel Hartman, who was captured Tuesday in West Virginia along with his mother, his wife, and his mother’s boyfriend.
Convicted rapist who escaped Arkansas prison captured in West Virginia
According to the Arkansas Department of Corrections, all four will be brought to Arkansas. However, it doesn’t appear Hartman will be returning to the prison in Brickeys, Arkansas, where he was serving a life sentence for raping a 14-year-old.
“Hartman will be taken to an ADC facility, but he won’t go to the East Arkansas Regional Unit. The others will be held in a county jail,” the Arkansas Department of Corrections said.
Hartman’s capture was greeted with a sigh of relief by some who live in Brickeys. Glendora Terry lives very close to the prison where Hartman escaped last August while on a work detail, which was not a big surprise to Terry.
PREVIOUS: Convicted rapist escaped from Arkansas prison
“I think that sometimes the guys are just a little bit sneakier than they expect. I think maybe they’re a little short handed at times,” Terry said. “It’s about time. It’s about time that they got him.”
The story of how Hartman and the two women used jest skis to escape Arkansas and travel through Tunica County Mississippi, before being caught more than 700 miles away doesn’t really sound like a movie of the week to Ronald Rose.
Rose has lived in Brickeys years before the prison was built and says security needs improving and strongly agrees Hartman should no longer be housed here.
“He shouldn’t never been over there to start with. That prison wasn’t built for “life timers” or nothing like that,” he said.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections said hundreds of leads were followed over the course of the last year. When the four will be returned to Arkansas is unknown.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
