After escaping from a work crew Friday, an Arkansas man is now in prison for life for rape. According to authorities.
Samuel Hartman is an inmate at East Arkansas Regional Unit, Brickys Prison. He escaped. According to The Clarion Ledger, a local outlet.
Hartman has been in the custody of the Arkansas Division of Correction since Dec. 2, 2013. According to the outlet, Hartman appealed against his conviction to Arkansas’ Supreme Court. However, he was denied.
Hartman has a rich history. “major guilty disciplinary violations” while incarcerated, including for possessing contraband, battery and sexual activity,Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Hartman escaped while on assignment with a field maintenance crew located on State Highway 79, according to the Ledger.
The Tunica County Sheriff’s Department searched an RV park Friday night after receiving a tip that a truck driven by Hartman had been seen there,Yahoo News.
Although students were allowed to return home on time after the sighting, all schools in the vicinity were shut down and all local businesses were advised to be on high alert.
Authorities claim that the escaped man used the alias Samual Paul Heartman. According to the Ledger his last known address was at Persimmon Point Road in Magazine Arkansas.
Police are also looking for two women, Hartman’s sister Misty Hartman and his mother Linda Annette White, who investigators say may be aiding Hartman in his evading authorities.
Hartman and his family were not found in the RV park searched. However, police reported that evidence suggests Hartman might have intended to stay there for some time.
Hartman’s vehicle, a white Chevy, was also spotted on Carp Drive in Tunica County, Mississippi, officials said.
The Tunica County Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto County SWAT team, and U.S. The area was scoured by Marshals on Friday night. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a vehicle was found on the Arkansas side by the Mississippi River. Arkansas State Police reported that they found two jet skis abandoned on a boat ramp near Mhoon Landing Park.
The jet skis were found in a location police believe Hartman used. Hartman could have used a boat for escape. ABC 24.
According to the outlet, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is currently processing the jet skis.
Authorities asked people to be on the lookout for any vehicle matching the description of a white 2021 Chevy Z71 Trail Boss. ABC 24 reports that the vehicle in question could have an Arkansas license plate number 398ZVY, or none at all. Investigators are also looking into Tulsa and Oklahoma for Hartman’s links.
Hartman, 38, stands 5 feet, 9 inches, and weighs 230 pounds. Hartman has tattoos that include a heart, a sword, and the words “Forever & Always,”As well as the words “Sam-N-Christine,” According to authorities.
Officials stated that Hartman should be treated as dangerously armed, along with his mother and sister. Anyone with information on Hartman’s whereabouts, and anyone who believes they have seen Hartman, his mother or his sister, should call 911, authorities said.