Two convicted killers who were released from a Florida prison on the basis of forged documents and were on the run, have been arrested in Panama City.
On Saturday, October 19, evening, Florida authorities took both Charles Bernard Walker and Joseph Ivan Jenkins into custody "without incident" at Panama City's Coconut Grove Motor Inn.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service found the two convicts and detained them. Both Walker and Jenkins were serving life sentences for murder at the Franklin Correctional Institution in Florida before they were released on the basis of phony paperwork.
Walker and Jenkins appeared at the Bay County Courthouse in Panama City on Sunday, October 20, morning.
"We are, of course, happy they have been taken into custody," said agency spokeswoman Jessica Carey.
Earlier on Saturday, October 19, family members of both Walker and Jenkins pleaded to them to hand themselves over to the authorities.
"We just want you to surrender yourself to someone you trust who will bring you back in safely," said Lillie Danzy, Walker's mother, at a news conference.
Henry Pearson, who is Jenkins' uncle, also appealed to the convicts to give their families some peace of mind. The families of both the men have denied having any knowledge pertaining to the murderers' escape plans. Reportedly, the families learnt of the release via telephone calls from the Franklin Correctional Institution telling them that they could pick up their family member.
"They committed violent crimes. The best thing for them to do is to turn themselves in," said Capt. Angelo Nieves when the manhunt for the two convicts was on.
Officials had been trying to track down Walker and Jenkins, both of whom are 34 years old, after it was discovered both had forged documents to reduce their sentences.
Jenkins has been charged with killing Roscoe Pugh Jr. in 1998 during a robbery attempt. Walker has been charged for gunning down Cedric Slater.
