PANGBURN, AR - US Marshals found escaped murderer Curtis Reese, Jr. hiding in a cave in Cleburne County, just north of Pangburn.
Tips from unnamed sources led police to Reese.
"I think he was just trying to stay out of jail,” said Kevin Sanders with the US Marshals. “He was desperate and he just wanted to stay out of prison, and he did for a few days but now that's over with."
Reese and another inmate - James Ryan -
escaped from prison Monday afternoon, leaving in a water tank atop an 18-wheel tractor-trailer and then jumping off.
Authorities captured Ryan that day.
Reese lasted another three.
He went to prison back in 1998, convicted of luring two young men to a vacant lot in Saline County then robbing and murdering them.
Marshals say he didn't say a word once they caught up to him.
"The look on his face said it all,” Sanders said. “He's just done. He's defeated."
The cave where authorities found Reese is practically in Cathy Campbell and Patty Newman’s backyards.
"It's just a scary thought, somebody out there. I mean apparently he didn't want nothing to do with us or he would have been up here before three days."
Campbell and Newman say their dogs have been barking a lot the past three days.
That makes sense because marshals believe an accomplice drove Reese here soon after his escape.
"Next time the dogs are barking I'm gonna be looking. Pay more attention, I guess."
As for the Reese, he'll likely face additional charges as will anyone else who helped him escape from prison.
"Local law enforcement, federal law enforcement, when we get together we can pretty much get things done quickly and that's exactly what happened here," Sanders said.
We talked to family members of Lance Kelloms, who was killed by Reese. They didn’t want to make a formal statement, but say they’re happy Reese has been caught.
Authorities brought Reese to White County for questioning immediately after his capture. From there, Reese will be in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
