Headline: “Escaped Teen Inmate Shane Pryor Recaptured by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia After 5-Day Manhunt”
Subheading: “U.S. Marshals successfully apprehend Pryor at 3rd Street and Roosevelt Boulevard”
Philadelphia, PA – After a five-day pursuit, the U.S. Marshals Service successfully recaptured 17-year-old escaped inmate Shane Pryor on Sunday night in Philadelphia, bringing an end to a city-wide manhunt.
At 6:30pm, @USMS_Philly and @PhillyPolice captured escapee Shane Pryor. Investigators were conducting surveillance in an area Pryor was known to frequent when Pryor was observed boarding a Septa bus. @USMS_Philly pulled the bus over and Pryor was arrested without incident. pic.twitter.com/wxpxJd2XTN
— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) January 29, 2024
Pryor had eluded authorities since his escape on Wednesday, evading capture as he navigated through various neighborhoods in the city. The U.S. Marshals announced his apprehension just after 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of 3rd Street and Roosevelt Boulevard, situated between Feltonville and Olney.
Upon Pryor’s capture, his attorney, Paul DiMaio, expressed relief, stating, “I’m glad he was taken into custody and is safe, and now the focus can return to defending him in court,” during an interview with CBS News Philadelphia.
#BREAKING | @USMS_Philly says escaped prisoner, Shane Pryor was captured. @PhillyPolice says USMS took him into custody at 3rd and the Boulevard without incident. @CBSPhiladelphia 🚨
— Nikki DeMentri (@nikkidementri) January 28, 2024
The teenage fugitive’s escape unfolded on Wednesday when he broke free from Juvenile Justice Services Center custody. Originating from an escort to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a hand injury, Pryor managed to abscond while exiting the vehicle outside the CHOP emergency department.
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark revealed that escorting staff had pursued Pryor on foot, coming “almost in arm’s length of him when they couldn’t catch up to him.”
Surveillance footage, released by the U.S. Marshals Service, depicted Pryor inside the Hub for Clinical Collaboration, attempting to use a phone before leaving the building.
Before noon on the same day, Pryor utilized a phone obtained from a passerby to call 18-year-old Michael Diggs. The U.S. Marshals reported that he informed the woman he got into a fight and needed assistance.
Subsequently, Diggs picked up Pryor on Civic Boulevard, and the duo fled the scene in a cream-colored Ford. Surveillance videos placed them at various locations, including Mascher Street and Godfrey Avenue, before they left the area around 2 p.m.
Later that evening, Philadelphia Police intercepted the cream-colored Ford on East Logan Street, detaining Diggs for questioning. Pryor was not in the vehicle, leading to criminal charges against Diggs for aiding Pryor’s escape.
Pryor, already facing charges for the 2020 murder of Tanya Harris in Northeast Philadelphia, has been in custody since the incident occurred. Authorities believe he shot Harris in the head during an attempted solicitation of sex. Pryor’s co-defendant remains in custody as well.
The investigation into Harris’ murder revealed surveillance footage placing Pryor with Harris shortly before the incident. Pryor later provided conflicting information to the police, initially claiming innocence and implicating an unknown man dressed in black. However, investigators determined the individual was a 14 or 15-year-old, contradicting Pryor’s account. The recaptured inmate is now expected to face additional charges related to his recent escape.