The Associated Press
HELENA, Mont. — Montana authorities declined help from the New York Police Department in the search of two escaped prisoners, including one accused of trying to kidnap the son of talk show host David Letterman.
Warden Mike Mahoney said Sunday the logistics of bringing officers in from the East Coast was too complicated. He said a detective with NYPD’s threat-assessment unit had been in touch and “I can only assume it would be in connection with Mr. Letterman.”
The two prisoners, who fled the Montana State Prison in a truck while working at the prison ranch, have been missing for three days.
Kelly A. Frank, 45, was arrested in 2005 on allegations he crafted a plan to kidnap the son of Letterman, who has a ranch near Choteau.
A charge of solicitation to kidnap was dropped in return for pleas of guilty to other charges, including felony theft and misdemeanor obstruction. Frank worked as a painter at Letterman’s ranch and received a 10-year prison sentence for overcharging him.
William J. Willcutt, 22, was convicted of burglary.
New information indicated the pair “may be armed and have other provisions to sustain themselves,” according to a prison news release. Mahoney declined to provide details.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also offered to help, but Mahoney said cloudy conditions prevented use of their helicopters Sunday.
The search, involving a prison dog and people trained in “man tracking,” focused on an area where the ranch’s 1965 truck was recovered. Mahoney said the site is in the mountains south of Deer Lodge.
Frank and Willcutt were assigned to a ranch crew that moves irrigation pipe. A supervisor noticed Willcutt and the truck were missing Friday afternoon, and a count of inmates revealed Frank was also gone.
Willcutt lived in a prison work dormitory. Frank lived within the prison.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press