Watch | Killer escapes by 'crab-walking' wall of US prison; second such case in a year

A dangerous murderer escaped a Pennsylvania prison by climbing between the walls, the same way another inmate scaled them earlier this year to get away, officials say. The killer, named Danelo Cavalacante, 34, escaped from the Chester County Prison on August 31.

The police officials released the footage of Cavalacante escaping the prison in broad daylight by crab-walking up between two walls separated by a 5 ft (1.5m) hallway.

Earlier this year, another inmate also fled the prison using the same hallway. Officials say razor wire was installed after the previous escape, but clearly, it was not effective.

Double escape

When on May 19, a prison inmate Igor Bolte escaped the Chester County Prison, the officials said at a news conference that theyhired security consultants to review the building and make it more escape-proof.

The consultants had “identified an insufficiency”, said Acting Warden Howard Holland, and razor wire was installed to keep other inmates from using the same exit route.

"While we believed our security methods were sufficient, they were proven otherwise. And we will move quickly to enhance our security measures," said Holland.

Navelo Cavalcante ‘crab walked’ the wall

Cavalcante was sentenced to life imprisonment last month after being found guilty of brutally stabbing ex-girlfriend Deborah Brando to death in April 2021 in front of her two infants.

Footage shows how he “crab walked up a wall, through razor wire”, Holland said on Wednesday. Cavalcante placed his hands on one wall and his feet on another to push his way upwards.

After reaching the roof, both inmates could climb down a ladder to a less secure part of the prison.

What is even more ironic is that at the time of the escape, just before 9: 00 amlocal time, there was a corrections officer in the observation tower. But the officer apparently failed to monitor the security feed, unlike in the May case when the inmate was caught only five minutes after escaping once he was spotted on video monitors.

The officer who was assigned to oversee Yard C when Cavalcante got away has been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation by the state's attorney general.

On Monday, authorities began using helicopters and patrol cars to blast an audio message recorded by Cavalcante's mother in Brazil, in which she calls on him to surrender.

A $20,000 (£16,000) reward is being offered for any information on him.

(With inputs from agencies)

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