Michael Burham has pleaded guilty to escaping from Warren County Prison in July and has also pleaded guilty to kidnapping. He will be sentenced on January 5, 2024. Burham had been held on multiple charges, including kidnapping, burglary, and the alleged rape and murder of his girlfriend. He was captured after a nine-day manhunt. Another inmate has been charged for assisting Burham in his escape. The Bradford Era reported
Michael Burham Pleads Guilty to Prison Escape and Kidnapping Charges
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced today that Michael Burham, a fugitive who escaped from Warren County Prison in July, has pleaded guilty to the charges of prison escape and kidnapping. The kidnapping case will be prosecuted by the Warren County District Attorney’s Office. Burham is scheduled to be sentenced by a Warren County judge on January 5, 2024.
The Office of Attorney General has been handling the prosecution of Burham’s escape from prison.
Prior to his escape, Burham had been held at Warren County Prison on a $1 million bail for various charges, including kidnapping a Sheffield couple, burglary, and the alleged rape and murder of his girlfriend, Kala Hodgkin, in Jamestown, N.Y., on May 11.
“The defendant was on the run for nine days in an attempt to evade justice,” said Attorney General Henry. “I commend the efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police, as well as my team, the Warren County District Attorney’s Office, and the City of Warren Police Department, for their work in holding the defendant accountable for his many crimes.”
Burham’s escape occurred on July 6, 2023, when he climbed on top of exercise equipment and made his way out of the prison yard through a grated metal roof. Using a rope made of bedsheets, he slid down to freedom. He remained a fugitive until he was captured by the state police on July 15. Senior Deputy Attorney General Evan Lowry and Deputy Attorney General Heather Serrano are prosecuting the case.
Prior to his capture, Burham had led authorities on a multi-state manhunt for two weeks following the crimes committed in May. He was eventually apprehended on May 24 in Berkeley County, South Carolina, by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. He was then extradited to Warren County to face kidnapping charges. However, shortly after arriving, Burham managed to escape from the Warren facility, adding felony escape charges to his already extensive list of crimes.
During his escape, over 200 members of law enforcement diligently followed up on every tip, sighting, or piece of information that was reported. The rewards offered for information leading to Burham’s capture increased as the search progressed.
Burham was finally apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol just before 6 p.m. on July 15. He was immediately taken to the state police barracks for processing and arraignment before being secured in the Erie County Prison.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. Bivens confirmed reports that a barking dog, later identified as Tucker, alerted his owners, Ron and Cindy Ecklund of Conewango Township, to a suspicious person on their property. The Ecklunds, in their golf cart, approached the individual who claimed to be camping nearby. However, Ron Ecklund recognized the person as Burham and immediately contacted the authorities.
“At 3:57 this afternoon,” Bivens began his press conference, “the suspect was identified. By 5:50 he was in custody.”
In a recent development, another inmate at Warren County Prison, George Flasher, has been charged with assisting Burham in his escape. Flasher allegedly provided sheets, helped calculate the length needed to rappel down the wall, and revealed that the roof vulnerability was well-known among the inmates.
Surveillance video captured Burham during his escape.
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