The police thought the trail had gone cold after McCluskey escaped from an Arizona prison three weeks ago. This is one of Arizona’s longest manhunts.
“The nightmare that began on July 30th is finally over,” said Arizona’s U.S. Marshal David Gonzalez. “Not only Arizona, but the rest of this country can sleep a little better tonight,” added Lt. Col. Steve Campbell, Deputy Director of the Department of Public Safety
On Thursday night, a ranger reported a half- burnt fire and a badly hidden car in the Apache National Forest. A SWAT team arrested McCluskey and Cassyln Welch, McCluskey’s fiancée and cousin.
Welch allegedly helped the escapees to break out of prison on July 30 by throwing wire cutters into the prison perimeter.
Law enforcement agencies investigated over 700 leads from many states. The success of the manhunt was due primarily to the excellent co-ordination between law enforcement offices across many states.
The police hunt for Welch and McCluskey ranged from the southwest U.S. to western Montana and all along the Canadian border.
MCluskey, 45, was serving a 15-year sentence for second-degree murder when he escaped with fellow prisoners Tracy Province and Daniel Renwick.
The couple is held in the Apache County Jail in St. Johns, Arizona