WARREN, Pa. (NewsNation) — Escaped Pennsylvania inmate Michael Burham got out through a hole in a chain link fence that caged in the prison’s recreation area, before using a rope of tied-up bedsheets to descend from the roof, police report.
Burham, 34, broke out of Warren County Prison last Thursday night, prompting a massive manhunt in the surrounding area. He is known to be a “survivalist” with military training who is prepared to withstand the elements and conceal himself.
Police say the recreation area, which is on the roof of the prison, had security cameras but no staff, despite saying the prison is not facing staff shortages.
Burham was reportedly in the caged-in room with three other inmates.
Pennsylvania State Police expanded the search for Burham Wednesday, saying they needed a more extensive command post because of additional assets and manpower they’ve added to the search this week.
More than 200 officers from 15 different law enforcement agencies have joined the search.
Police said they continue to find items leading them to believe that Burham is still in the area. However, law enforcement won’t specify what those items are.
There have been several reported sightings of Burham but police said so far none of those reports have panned out. Investigators also looked into if Burham has been involved in any break-ins in the area.
Authorities are also looking into a drone that may have been flying near the northwestern Pennsylvania prison just before Burham’s escape.
It’s been nearly a week since the suspected murderer escaped from prison. Police estimated Burham may have had a 90-minute headstart getting away because police could not access the jail surveillance video they needed to determine which direction Burham ran.
Investigators still believe Burham is getting assistance from someone. Search teams have started to shift their focus to more rural areas while also looking through the vast Allegheny National Forest.
Police said the search won’t end anytime soon.
“We have structured this investigation and manhunt in a way that is very sustainable, and yes, we will continue to devote the resources to it. We’re not simply going to walk away and that’s my message to Burham. We’re not going away. We absolutely will be incarcerating you again. It’s only a matter of time,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
Elizabeth Stroup, a camper, said she had thought with Burham’s military background, he could have them on a chase for a while. But she realized that most escaped prisoners get caught in one way or another.
“They all get caught one way or another. So, pretty confident in our law enforcement they’ll do the job and he’ll get apprehended again,” Stroup said.
Updates to the prison have been set in motion, including for the rooftop that Burham escaped from.
The roof “is a 40′ x 40′ room with a cage on the top floor of the jail facility. The Commissioners and Prison Board have also ordered the space be augmented with deterrents and safety measures,” the Warren County Prison Board said in a statement.
Burham has been accused of murdering a woman in nearby Jamestown, New York, which is about 20 minutes from Warren.
Kala Hodgkin was shot to death in May. Before her death, she accused Burham of raping her. Hodgkin’s mother spoke with NewsNation host Chris Cuomo Tuesday night.
She said her grandson told her Burham escaped, not the police.
“I actually called them. They told me they were still looking and had no updates,” Hodgkin’s mother Ana Overturf said. “They did put the kids in protective custody.”
Overturf continued, “I am scared to death that he might (come back here), but I don’t know if that’s his intention. He is out there somewhere.”
Police said they’re using DNA technology to determine if Burham has had contact with any of the items they’ve found during the search.
Meanwhile, law enforcement has received frequent calls from people who think they’ve seen Burham, investigating every possible sighting.
The reward for information leading to Burham’s arrest is now close to $20,000.
