Richard Matt

Richard Matt

Matt's mugshot
Born Richard William Matt
(1966-06-25)June 25, 1966
Tonawanda, New York, U.S.
Died June 26, 2015(2015-06-26) (aged 49)
Malone, New York, U.S.
Known for Prison escapee, convicted murderer

Richard William Matt (June 25, 1966 – June 26, 2015)[1][2] was an American convicted felon known for several prison escapes, most notably the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape.

Murders

On December 3, 1997, Richard Matt attacked his 72-year-old boss, William Rickerson, in his North Tonawanda home. After attacking him, Matt forced Rickerson into his trunk. Matt believed Rickerson had access to a large sum of money and demanded to know its location. Later, Matt broke Rickerson's neck with his bare hands. He then dismembered the body and fled New York State to avoid capture.[3]

After fleeing, Matt crossed the U.S.-Mexican border and entered the city of Matamoros. On February 20, 1998, Matt murdered Charles Arnold Perreault, an American employed as an engineer at Ranco de Mexico, a local factory. According to news reports, Matt and Perreault were in a bar, and when Perreault went to the restroom, Matt stabbed him nine times in the back and abdomen in an attempt to rob him of $300 USD.

After assaulting Perreault, Matt attempted to flee the scene of the crime, but was apprehended by police shortly after. Matt provided the name of his half-brother, Wayne M. Schimpf, when questioned by the officers.[4][5] Matt was convicted of murder in a Mexican court and received a 23-year sentence.[3]

Prison escapes

When approximately 13 years old, Matt escaped from a group home, hiding in Allegany State Park and taking food and other supplies from vacation homes. He had been remanded to the home for stealing a houseboat.[6]

In June 1986, he climbed a fence to escape from the Erie County Correctional Facility, where he was serving a one-year sentence for assault.[7] According to retired Tonawanda policeman David Bently, Matt evaded police for four days, hopping a freight train to his brother's house in Tonawanda where he was ultimately apprehended.[6]

In 1991, Matt convinced fellow prisoner David Telstar to pay $15,000 bail to get him released while awaiting trial for rape and assault. Matt then informed on Telstar, who pleaded guilty to promising Matt an additional $100,000 in a murder-for-hire scheme. Matt did not receive a reduced sentence for informing.[8]

Prior to 2007, Matt nearly escaped from a prison in Mexico, climbing to the roof before being shot by guards. According to his son, "He's been shot like nine times. It's like they can't kill him."[9][10] Matt was turned over to U.S. authorities in 2007. According to court reporter Rick Pfeiffer, the Mexican government placed him without explanation on a plane with a drug kingpin they had agreed to extradite because he had "been such a difficult prisoner."[10]

During his trial for the murder of Rickerson, authorities suspected he had a plan to escape from Niagara County Jail. Matt was made to wear a stun belt and snipers were posted outside the courtroom to prevent his escape.[7][11]

Clinton Correctional escape

On June 6, 2015, while serving 25 years to life sentence for Rickerson's murder, then-48-year-old Matt and 34-year-old David Sweat executed an elaborate escape from the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York and became the subjects of a trans-national manhunt. The escape, which has been compared to Stephen King's The Shawshank Redemption[12] and brought New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to survey their escape route,[13][14] involved the use of tools to tunnel out of the facility to an "external breach" approximately 500 feet (150 m) south of the prison wall. The two men had first earned privileged housing in Honor Block, a unit with larger cells available only to prisoners with years without a disciplinary infraction.[15][16][17]

Prior to the escape, he traded skilled artwork of famous people with a prison guard.[18]

Death

On June 26, 2015, Matt was spotted by law enforcement officers in Franklin County, New York, near the town of Malone, after Matt shot at the driver of a passing recreational vehicle with a 20-gauge shotgun taken from a hunting camp. In the subsequent encounter with responding police, Matt was shot and killed. The incident took place less than 50 miles from the Clinton Correctional Facility. He died a day after his 49th birthday.[19][20][21][22] Sweat initially escaped capture, but was shot and arrested two days later.[23]

Joseph D'Amico, superintendent of the New York State Police, indicated that officers "confronted Matt in the woods outside...and warned the convict to drop the firearm he was holding. When Matt refused to comply, the Border Patrol agents shot and killed him, even though the escapee fired no shots of his own."[24]

An autopsy of Matt was released on August 6, which verified his cause of death as skull fractures and brain damage. It also revealed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.18%, which is more than twice the level of intoxication for drunken driving under New York law.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Most Wanted poster" (PDF). U.S. Marshall. U.S. Marshall. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Richard Matt, Escaped Prisoner in New York Manhunt, Is Fatally Shot". The New York Times.
  3. 1 2 Herbeck, Dan (June 26, 2015). "Richard Matt claimed he was beaten, tortured in Mexican prison". The Buffalo News (Buffalo, New York). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ Espinoza, J. Noel (February 24, 1998). "American charged in Matamoros murder". The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Texas). Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ Staff (June 26, 2015). "Family of Man NY Escapee Killed Reacts to Death". KRGV.com. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Kirstan Conley (2015-06-08). "Escaped killer has a history of breaking out of prison". New York Post. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Escaped murderers may be headed to Vermont, authorities say". Fox News. 2015-06-10.
  8. ↑ Greg Krikorian (1992-01-28). "Hollywood Heiress's Marriage Turns to Dark Tale of Theft, Murder Plots". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ The Guardian (June 10, 2015). "New York prison break: escapees may be headed to Vermont". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Eric DuVall (2015-06-10). "Richard Matt's troubles began early in life". Democrat & Chronicle (Gannett).
  11. ↑ Jeff Preval (2015-06-08). "Source: Richard Matt had escape plan during '08 murder trial". WGRZ.com. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  12. ↑ Shapiro, Emily; Keneally, Meghan (June 8, 2015). "NY Prison Break and How It Compares to 'Shawshank Redemption". ABC News. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  13. ↑ Ahmed, Saeed (June 8, 2015). "Source: Employee questioned in New York prison escape". Turner. CNN. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Governor Cuomo tours correctional facility after prison break" (Pictorial). New York Daily news.
  15. ↑ The New York Times (June 7, 2015). "With Power Tools and a Ruse, 2 Killers Flee New York Prison". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  16. ↑ Genis, Daniel (June 10, 2015). "New York State's Scariest Prison". Vice.com.
  17. ↑ NBC (June 11, 2015). "Prison Worker Joyce Mitchell Being Questioned in Connection With Brazen Escape". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  18. ↑ New York Times (June 25, 2015). "New York Prison Escapee Traded Art for Favors From a Guard". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  19. ↑ New York Post (June 11, 2015). "Escaped murderer Richard Matt shot and killed by police". Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  20. ↑ Margolin, Josh; Katersky, Aaron; Shapiro, Emily (June 26, 2015). "Escaped New York Inmate Richard Matt Shot and Killed by Police, Officials Say". ABC News. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  21. ↑ Sanchez, Ray; Feyerick, Deborah; Prokupecz, Shimon (2015-06-26). "Source: New York prison escapee Richard Matt killed". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  22. 1 2 "Autopsy: NY prison escapee was drunk when killed in forest". Yahoo! News.
  23. ↑ "Escapee David Sweat shot, in custody". CNN. June 27, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  24. ↑ Demola, Pete (June 26, 2015). "New York prison escapee killed by police, accomplice still at large". Reuters. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
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