U.S. Marshals arrest the Canadian prison escapee sought in Bellingham last year
A man serving a life sentence for a first-degree murder who escaped from a Mission, B.C., prison and was seen a day later in Bellingham, was arrested Friday in San Diego, Calif., according to the U.S. Marshals.
Roderick Muchikekwanape, 42, was located at the University of California San Diego Hillcrest Hospital and arrested without incident, according to a Friday afternoon, March 26, news release.
“The U.S. Marshals Service recognizes the importance of cooperation between federal, state and local police agencies as well as the community it serves — especially when searching for dangerous fugitives. It is my sincere hope that the task force apprehending Muchikekwanape brings some sense of relief to the community,” Chief Richard Craig said in the release.
Muchikekwanape was taken to the Federal Courthouse for booking and will be held pending extradition to Canada, according to the release.
According to an earlier story in The Bellingham Herald:
The Bellingham Police Department announced in a tweet Oct. 30 that a man matching the description of Muchikekwanape was seen at approximately 7 a.m. near the intersection of East Sunset and Hannegan Road.
It is believed that Muchikekwanape crossed the U.S.-Canadian border at Sumas early that day, according to the tweet, which included a photo of a man suspected to be Muchikekwanape at a Sumas gas station.
“If seen, do not approach — do not alert him and call 9-1-1 immediately,” a Bellingham Police Facebook post read.
“While we are aware that Roderick Muchikekwanape has a history of significant violence, we do not believe that he is an immediate threat to the general public. If you see him, do not approach and call your local police,” Corporal Nathan Berze of the Mission Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a RCMP release about the escape.
According to a CBC story on Muchikekwanape’s escape, he was last seen at Mission Institution at 7 p.m. Thursday. He went missing during a routine inmate count at 10 p.m.
Muchikekwanape was being held in an unfenced, minimum-security area of the prison, CBC reported, which usually houses those deemed the lowest security risk.
Officials told the CBC they didn’t yet know how Muchikekwanape escaped.
Muchikekwanape was serving a life sentence after he was convicted of the 1998 sexual assault and murder of Kimberley Clarke, a 36-year-old mother of three, according to the CBC. The crime occurred in Winnipeg.
Muchikekwanape reportedly reached his parole eligibility in August and has been “transitioning for release,” a prison spokesperson told the CBC.
According to a CTV Vancouver story, Muchikekwanape had been in custody the past 20 years after being convicted when he was 21.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 5:08 PM.
