WARREN, Pa. (NewsNation) — Local and state authorities in Pennsylvania, along with federal agencies, are searching for Michael Burham, an inmate who escaped from a jail in Warren last Thursday.
Authorities are using drones, helicopters and dogs to search a remote area where they think Michael Burham, 34, could be.
Burham is “a self-taught survivalist with military experience and could be potentially holed up in a wooded area,” Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said.
The U.S. Marshals are offering up to $7,500 for information that leads to Burham’s arrest, while Warren County Crime Stoppers is offering as much as $2,000.
What is he in jail for?
According to Pennsylvania State Police, at the time of his escape, Burham was being held in lieu of $1 million bail on a number of charges, including kidnapping and burglary. Warren police said he is also a suspect in a homicide investigation.
NewsNation local affiliate WIVB reports that Burham is wanted in connection to the killing of 34-year-old Kala Hodgkin, among other warrants. Hodgkin was found shot to death the morning of May 11 in a Jamestown, New York residence, the Erie-Times News reported.
After Hodgkin’s death, Burham fled, leading authorities on a days-long manhunt. He was ultimately arrested May 24 in South Carolina.
Burham was not charged in Hodgkin’s death, WIVB said, but an arrest warrant accusing him of rape was issued in April. Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt told WIVB this warrant was likely connected to Hodgkin’s case.
Burham is also accused of kidnapping an elderly couple during his previous escape. The couple alleged Burham took them from their home, drove them in their vehicle to North Carolina, then released them physically unharmed, according to the FBI.
Police said on Facebook that Burham is considered “very dangerous” and asked the public to “be vigilant and report anything out of the ordinary.”
How did he escape?
At the time of his current escape, Burham was under video surveillance, WIVB said, although it’s not clear if other guards were present. Authorities said he climbed on exercise equipment and, using bedsheets, escaped through a window.
“He elevated himself on top of a piece of exercise equipment and was able to exit the yard through a metal-gated roof,” Warren County spokesperson Cecile Stelter said, according to WIVB. “He then used bedsheets that he tied together, and was able to escape to the ground from the roof.”
Police are investigating how Burham was able to gather the materials he used to flee the jail.
Although Burham, as an inmate, would typically be restrained when moving from one area to another, he was not in this instance because he was in a recreation area.
What is a ‘survivalist?’
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a survivalist as a person who prepares for future emergencies by collecting large amounts of food and learning to live outdoors.
Wilderness expert Jason Charles told NewsNation that ‘anybody and everybody’ can call themselves a survivalist. However, someone like Burham, who has years of training and who’s comfortable in the woods, could likely sustain himself.
“Now that he’s in his element, he’s definitely going to give (authorities) a run for their money,” Charles said.
Police have located some small campsites they believe are associated with Burham, Bivens said.
Police say Burham prepared to conceal himself in the wood, and small campsites and stockpiles were located in the forest near the prison where he fled.
The Associated Press and WIVB contributed to this report.