LARNED – Escaped sex offender John Freeman Colt is in custody, but it is unlikely that he will be returned to Kansas very soon.
Pawnee County Sheriff Scott King said Wednesday morning that Colt now faces federal charges stemming from his escape from Larned in June and capture in Wayne County, Utah, earlier in the week and is not likely to be returned to Kansas until those charges are answered. Colt is being held in the Sevier County Jail in Utah pending his extradition.
“Now that he is captured, our attention turns to those who aided him in his escape,” Sheriff King said. King noted that much of Tuesday afternoon and evening was spent in interviews relating to Colt’s escape from the Sexual Predator Treatment Unit at Larned State Hospital June 30 and the months following.
A Pawnee County deputy who was tasked to work with the U.S. Marshals when the case began will continue in that capacity until the completion of the follow-up investigation.
Pawnee County law enforcement officials were notified at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sept. 27 that Colt had been arrested in Wayne County.
A Pawnee County arrest warrant had been issued for Colt on July 1. He is charged with aggravated escape from custody, a severity level 8 non-person felony. At the time of his escape, he was subject to the Kansas Offender Registration Act.
“The initial complaint and warrant were issued at the early stages of the investigation to provide jurisdiction to law enforcement agencies across the nation to hold Colt once he was discovered and captured,” noted Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett. “Given the interstate element of this case, we will now reevaluate that charge and coordinate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine the best charging strategy to meet the needs of justice and the long-term safety concerns of the public.”
McNett added that the PCSO and the U.S. Marshals office are aware that Colt may have received help from multiple accomplices and are focusing on that aspect of the ongoing follow-up investigation.
“My office intends to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law all individuals shown to have aided or assisted in the escape of this dangerous individual and his subsequent evasion of law enforcement,” McNett said.
The aggressive nature of the manhunt now turns toward methodical follow-up, “We were scared that a dangerous fugitive could be still out there,” McNett said. “But that part is past us and now we can fully investigate the other aspects of the case.”
McNett noted that under Kansas law, it is a person felony crime to knowingly harbor, conceal or aid any person subject to the Kansas Offender Registration Act to avoid or escape registration or arrest. The crime carries a presumptive prison sentence of between 31 and 136 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, depending upon the individual’s criminal history.
McNett noted that in the 27-year history of the SPTP unit at LSH, three individuals have attempted escape from the Larned facility. All have been recaptured.
Colt’s capture in Utah
According to investigators in the U.S. Marshals office, viewers in Wayne County saw Colt’s wanted poster on the news Monday evening and recognized Colt. Call-ins to the Marshals and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office led to an organized apprehension strategy. As sheriff’s deputies were staging in a parking lot near the target house, they saw Colt roll by on his blue motorcycle and gave chase. After a brief chase down S.R. 24, Colt eventually decided to pull over and give up. He confirmed his identity and the sheriff confirmed the motorcycle VIN in NCIC.
“Effective law enforcement in the United States today is enhanced by citizens willing to report what they see,” said Ronald Miller, U.S. Marshal for the District of Kansas. “That occurred in this case and resulted in a violent predator being recaptured.”
Sheriff King noted, “I would like to thank the U.S. Marshals Service, along with everyone involved in the hunt for Colt and especially the Wayne County, Utah, Sheriff’s Office for their apprehension of the dangerous fugitive.”
The Marshals elevated Colt’s escape to major case status Sept. 20, when a $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to his capture. The Marshals are currently collecting information to build a failure to register case against him.
As the lead federal agency for sex offender violators, the USMS has the primary responsibility of assisting state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in the location and apprehension of noncompliant and fugitive sex offenders, as well as investigating violations of the parent Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, for federal prosecution.
According to the most current statistics, the USMS has arrested 9,589 sex offenders in the past year, with 225 Adam Walsh Act violation arrests.
