Escaped murder suspect spotted as cops tighten in on survivalist who fled jail
Escaped convict and murder suspect Michael Burham may have been spotted overnight, it has been revealed - and investigators believe they may have found items linked to the escapee, too.
They also believe he might have assistance from someone who is helping him evade police capture.
Erie News Now reports that break-ins at cabins near where he escaped a Warren County, Pennsylvania, jail might be linked to the prisoner, who was originally convicted on burglary charges and arson.
He is also charged with murder and rape, which he has yet to stand trial for.
On Thursday night into Friday last week, he escaped from prison, and it is believed he has been surviving in the Pennsylvania wilderness ever since, living off the land while he evades capture.
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Burham has military training from time in the reserves and has been deemed a competent "survivalist." And that has made it difficult for the authorities to apprehend him.
Various cabin break-ins may be linked to escaped convict Michael Burham (AP)
Authorities are continuing the search for fugitive Michael Burham (Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office / Facebook)Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens said the cops have "located small stockpiles or campsites in wooded areas in the general vicinity of Warren," which they believe are associated with the convict, reported WPXI.
Burham is also charged with kidnapping and carjacking, having allegedly abducted an elderly Pennsylvanian couple as he tried to evade arrest the first time in May.
He is considered extremely dangerous.
In their search for Burham, the authorities have brought in K9 units and have searched several residences and cabins in the area, but their efforts have yielded no results as of yet.
They "have no reason to believe he has left the area," but they're exploring every angle.
"Anyone in this situation becomes more desperate over time, and we plan to use that to our advantage," Bivens said.
The manhunt has also resulted in the closure of several local playgrounds and the cancellation of many activities.
Warren County Sheriff Brian Zeybel told WKBW-TV that residents should be cautious and avoid making themselves easy marks for Burham.
Because of the close-knit nature of the community, he said many residents likely haven't locked their doors in decades. Several also tend to leave their keys in their cars when they stop for gas or park at home.
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"Unfortunately, people exploit that," he said. "And I don't want to make it easy for this man to get a car, to get a firearm especially and/or just have shelter in a basement or an unlocked shed or something like that."
The potential sightings of Burham come as Fox News breaks that the convict was caught on a ring doorbell camera on a woman's front porch.
He can be seen torching her car in the driveway mere hours after Kala Hodgkin, the woman Burham was accused of murdering, was killed. Burham and Hodgkin shared a daughter.
The manhunt for the fugitive continues.
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