Convicted child molester Samuel Hartman, 39, who made a daring escape from an Arkansas prison on a jet ski a year ago, has been apprehended, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Hartman was discovered at a Quality Inn in Lewisburg, accompanied by his wife, mother, and her partner, all of whom are accused of aiding his escape.
Hartman was serving a life sentence at the East Arkansas Regional Unit prison for sexually assaulting his 14-year-old stepdaughter. His escape was allegedly facilitated by his wife and mother during a work detail in a field near the prison. The two women, Misty Hartman, 39, and Linda Annette White, 61, are accused of driving to the field on August 12, 2022, and firing at a corrections officer as Hartman made his escape.
According to authorities, the women then drove to the Mississippi River, where they had stashed two jet skis to aid their getaway. The jet skis were later discovered abandoned on the Mississippi side of the river. A witness reported seeing a man and two women crossing the river on the jet skis, the agency said.
Investigations revealed that Hartman's mother had connections to West Virginia. A photograph released by federal authorities on Tuesday showed Hartman, his face covered in blood, following his capture. The cause of his injuries was not immediately clear.
Rodney Trent, 52, the boyfriend of Hartman's mother, was also arrested at the hotel on Tuesday afternoon. He faces felony charges for allegedly sheltering a sex offender and assisting the trio while they were fugitives. The Marshals Service did not specify the charges facing Misty Hartman and White.
A spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections stated that all suspects are expected to be extradited to Arkansas as soon as possible. Hartman had been incarcerated since December 2013 after being found guilty of child molestation charges before his dramatic escape.
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