Escaped PA Fugitive Michael Burham Is In Custody: Police

WARREN COUNTY, PA — Michael Burham was captured Saturday in Warren County, more than a week after he escaped from the county jail, and following a lengthy and expansive search, according to state police.

A resident of Conewango Township alerted authorities about an encounter with a suspicious person on their property shortly before 4 p.m., police said. The person reported their dog was barking at a man who claimed to be camping in the area, according to the New York Times.

Authorities established a perimeter and took Burham, 34, into custody by 5:50 p.m., police said. He encountered state troopers and tried to hide, but authorities approached from behind and arrested him.

Burham looked dirty, wet and “worn out” from living in the wilderness to evade arrest, and was wearing his prison pants turned inside-out, but was not armed, authorities said, adding no troopers were injured during the capture.

"The investigation continues into whether anyone helped Burham to escape the prison or provided any assistance to him while he was on the run," police said in a news release. "Anyone found to have aided Burham will be charged accordingly."

Burham escaped from the Warren County Jail the night of July 6 and was considered armed and dangerous, authorities said. He was being held on a $1 million bond for kidnapping, burglary, and other charges, according to state police.

Officials said Burham escaped by climbing on exercise equipment, going through a window, and using tied-together bed sheets as a rope. He has military training and is a "self-taught survivalist," state police said.

Before his capture, law enforcement personnel found “small stockpiles or campsites” believed to be associated with him, and said they believed he may have been receiving aid from someone.

Authorities were searching a very large area with a lot of difficult terrain that has cabins, oil and gas sheds, and shacks, officials have said. They searched numerous residences, abandoned structures and wooded areas using K-9 units and aerial resources such as drones and aircraft.

Investigators remained convinced that Burham was in the Warren County vicinity despite fielding tips from out of state.

More than 200 state, federal and local officers took part in the search for Burham, and up to $22,000 in reward money had been posted, police said.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt of Chautauqua County, New York, said last month that Burham was the prime suspect in the May 11 killing of Kala Hodgkin, 34, and a related arson in Jamestown.

Authorities also accused him of abducting an elderly couple in Pennsylvania while trying to evade capture before his arrest in South Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.