As Pennsylvania police continue to search for escaped murderer and Brazilian national Danelo Cavalcante, prison authorities have released video showing how the inmate managed to climb over a wall with barbed wire.
“Earlier today, we had a possible sighting of Cavalcante by a person in the vicinity of Longwood Gardens. A search of that area has been underway for the past few hours and continues at this time,” Pennsylvania State Police Deputy Commissioner of Operations Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
The sighting in the vicinity of Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, was the eighth report of Cavalcante being in the search perimeter thus far, Lt. Col. Bivens said.
Cavalcante had first been seen on surveillance camera footage at Longwood Gardens on Monday night. The facility has now been closed until further notice, Longwood Gardens said Thursday in a post on Facebook.
The search area is now about 8 to 10 square miles across, Lt. Col. Bivens told reporters. It is bounded by Pennsylvania Routes 52, 100 and 926, as well as Hillendale Road in Kennett Square.
On Aug. 31, Cavalcante escaped the yard at Chester County Prison by crab-walking up a brick wall and out of sight, as captured on video released by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office on X, formerly Twitter.
CHESTER COUNTY PRISON OFFICIALS RELEASE VIDEO OF DANELO CAVALCANTE’S ESCAPE FROM THE EXERCISE YARD
— Chester County District Attorney’s Office (@chescoda) September 6, 2023
Internal and criminal investigations into the escape of Cavalcante are ongoing, and Prison Officials will provide additional information as able. pic.twitter.com/Thg2YzAOQ0
Cavalcante, 34, was convicted of stabbing ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão 38 times in front of her children and received a life sentence just a week before his escape from Chester County Prison.
Brandão had learned that Cavalcante was wanted in connection to a homicide in his native Brazil in 2017 and was planning to tell authorities before Cavalcante murdered her.
Cavalcante is considered highly dangerous, and there is a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his arrest.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.