Samuel Hartman who broke out of Arkansas prison riding a jet ski was nabbed a year later hiding with family in West Virginia motel
An Arkansas child molester who escaped prison a year ago and was on the run was captured while hiding out with relatives in a West Virginia motel.
Samuel Paul Hartman, 39, was arrested Tuesday at the Quality Inn in Lewisburg, West Virginia, along with his wife, Misty Hartman, 39, his mother, Linda Annette White, 61, and his mother’s friend, Rodney Trent, 52, according to the US marshals office in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Hartman had been serving a life sentence at East Arkansas Regional Unit Prison since his December 2013 conviction for the rape of his 14-year-old stepdaughter.
The fugitive was working in a field near the prison on August 12, 2022, when he came loose. Hartman’s wife and mother aided in his escape by driving the getaway car.
The pair reportedly opened fire on the work crew when Hartman encountered the vehicle before driving to the Mississippi River and jumping onto two jet skis lined up as part of their escape plan.
The skis were later found abandoned along the bank, leading to the years of hunting.
Samuel Paul Hartman, 38, has been serving a life sentence at East Arkansas Regional Unit Prison since his December 2013 conviction for the rape of his 14-year-old stepdaughter.
Hartman was caught by Virginia police after a year on the run. It is unclear how he bled at the time of arrest
Pictured: The four people arrested on Tuesday include child molester Samuel Hartman, Hartman’s wife Misty Hartman, mother Linda White and mother’s friend Rodney Trent
The fugitive was apprehended Tuesday at the Quality Inn in Lewisburg, West Virginia
A witness reported seeing a man and two women riding skis across the river.
A farmer later found jet skis, a cell phone and a set of keys at a boat ramp in Tunica County, Mississippi investigators said, WREG reported.
In March, the US Marshals said they were working with Arkansas researchers to establish White’s connection to West Virginia.
Investigators discovered that Hartman’s mother, Linda, had ties to West Virginia and contacted the Southern District of West Virginia for help in the matter.
The four suspects were arrested at a Quality Inn & Suites. Police have released photos of all four suspects in handcuffs. Hartman had a bloodied face in his photo – it’s unclear how he sustained the injuries.
“Today’s arrest was the result of deliberate and determined law enforcement work,” said Joe Profiri, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
“The United States Marshals Service, the Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas Department of Corrections have kept this case in the forefront and followed hundreds of leads over the past year.”
He added, “We appreciate the support and assistance of all agencies involved, the office of the governor of Arkansas and the state of West Virginia in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
The Arkansas Department of Corrections issued a flyer of an “inmate escapee” that was distributed
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement about the capture.
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of a year of outstanding, dedicated work by our heroic law enforcement officers,” Sanders said.
“Now that they have brought this dangerous fugitive to justice, all Arkansans can sleep more safely at night,” he said
Everyone is expected to be extradited to Arkansas as soon as possible, an Arkansas Department of Corrections spokeswoman said: The New York Post reported.
Both women were charged with assisting Hartman’s escape using a pickup truck and jet skis. It is unclear what new charges the duo will face.
Trent is charged with harboring a sex offender and assisting the trio while they were on the run.