Richard McNamara

Richard McNamara was born in 1958 in Massachusetts and later moved to North Dakota. In 1992, he shot and killed Jerome Thies, a grain elevator worker, during a robbery in Minot, North Dakota. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.¹

McNamara first escaped in 1992 from the Ward County Jail in Minot by crawling through a ventilation duct. He was recaptured after a few days. In 1993, he escaped from the North Dakota State Penitentiary by hiding in a trash container that was later loaded onto a truck. He remained free for several months before being caught in Ohio.²

His most famous escape occurred in 2006 from the United States Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, a maximum-security facility. He and two other inmates used a tunnel dug over several months to reach an area outside the prison walls. McNamara was the only one not recaptured immediately, and he has been on the run since.³

After the 2006 escape, the U.S. Marshals Service placed McNamara on its list of the 15 most-wanted fugitives. He is known for his intelligence and resourcefulness, having assumed various identities and worked in legitimate jobs while evading capture. His case has been featured in documentaries and news reports, highlighting the challenges of tracking a determined fugitive.⁴

McNamara's escapes have inspired a cult following, with some viewing him as a folk hero despite his violent crime. He has reportedly written letters to media outlets, taunting authorities. In 2015, the U.S. Marshals Service increased the reward for his capture to $25,000. He is also known to have a talent for forging documents and adapting to new environments, which has allowed him to blend in with the general population.⁵

Fugitive

A person who has escaped from custody or is avoiding law enforcement.

Maximum-security prison

A correctional facility with the highest level of security measures to prevent escapes.