The fugitive
by Lori Barrett | April 18, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Posted in baltimore crime, baltimore news
A man who escaped from a Maryland prison in 1965 has been found.
Willie Parker, now 81 years old, served 10 years of his 40-year sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon before escaping. He used different identities for a number of years and was even arrested during that time without anyone making the connection. By now, he was convinced no one was looking for him anymore, and was even using his real name to vote and collect Social Security.
He is currently in North Carolina awaiting extradition to Maryland. The extradition has been delayed because Maryland is having trouble finding the records related to his case. In the meantime, his 90-year-old sister in New York is dying and he has been denied permission to visit her, apparently because he is considered to be a flight risk — even though he walks with a cane and required assistance getting dressed when his warrant was served.
Is this case even worth the resources needed to bring him back to Maryland? The man is old and frail. He’s spent the last 43 years as a fugitive, but continued to live his life without anyone taking the time or effort to find him. Should he spend the end of his life as a free man or a prisoner?
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April 19th, 2008 at 1:44 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Leave him alone he is harmless. Let him go see his sister she needs him.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:01 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
You know what? The cost of incarcerating a frail octogenarian aside, they've done their bit by finding him, and he's done his by apparently being a decent citizen since he's gotten out. Frankly I just don't see the point in putting him back in jail now, especially since Maryland can't even find his paperwork.
April 20th, 2008 at 10:35 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
He's been a decent citizen since he got out? Gee from what I read he had been arrested after he escaped for something else. This guy doesn't sound like an upstanding citizen to me and I think he owes the people of Maryland 30 more years in prison. You do the crime you do the time. This state is so lenient on criminals and bends over backwards to make excuses for them. Its disgusting.
And then we wonder why more Americans are killed in Baltimore than in a freaking war zone in Iraq!!!
April 21st, 2008 at 4:35 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
He's not a danger to anyone. Leave him alone and use your resources to catch the gun toting thugs out there!!!