John McCluskey and his fiancée-cousin Casslyn Welch, on the lam since the devoted dame helped break McCluskey and two others out of an Arizona State Prison in Kingman July 30, were caught around 7 p.m. Thursday, according to a report in the Arizona Republic.
CAUGHT: John McCluskey
Despite dyed hair, guns and rumors that the couple committed suicide when they had not been spotted in weeks, Arizona’s own “Bonnie on Clyde” were nabbed by an eagle-eyed ranger at a campground in Apache County.
Three weeks on the lam may have made them a bit sloppy, as they returned to their home state of Arizona. They also lit a fire large enough for a forest ranger to spot. He thought the flames were unattended and went over to investigate.
The ranger, who is not being named despite his new hero status, found a Nissan Sentra parked in between trees, checked the license plate and found it had been stolen from a vehicle near Santa Rosa, N.M.
That just so happens to be the same general location where vacationing couple Gary and Linda Haas, from Oklahoma, were found slain in their charred camper.
CAUGHT: Casslyn Welch
Bingo.
Rather than go for dead hero status and corner the armed fugitives himself, the ranger alerted authorities. U.S. Marshals in Phoenix figured there was a good chance McCluskey and Welch just might be the couple in the car.
“The Apache County Sheriff’s Office sent a tactical-response team and arrested the couple with help from the state Department of Public Safety and members of the Forest Service,” the Republic said.
While the arrest was going down, Welch attempted to grab a gun she had at her waist, but deputies were quicker than she was.
McCluskey was nabbed outside the tent, which contained weapons.
In statements following his arrest, McCluskey said he would have used those weapons to fight off the law – and that he should have killed the ranger when he had a chance.
PAST POSTS on the Arizona State Prison escape:
Bonnie and Clyde photo gallery – Welch with mullet, McCluskey tattoosEscaped prisoner team gets makovers: Blond not Welch’s color
One prison escapee caught, Bonnie and Clyde still loose: What we learn from escaped prisoners
Two killers on loose from Arizona prison helped by fiancee – Wanted posters
Suspected killed by escaped convicts: Gary Haas, 61; Linda Haas, 61
Far-logs burn at a controlled rate for an extended amount of time. If McCluskey had a Far-Log, the Ranger would had left them alone seeing that they’re safe and controlled. Thanx Ryn. “landships Preckey”itc
hahahha! that far-log just gets more amazing every minute!
you are absolutely correct, landships preckey. and it was MY pleasure to write about them, once again. you are too much fun to interview. esp. dig your quote about dad looking like abe lincoln…
I was glad to hear no one else was hurt in the process. It doesn’t seem that either one of those two are rocket scientist, one just for leaving the prison in the first place, two coming back to Arizona. We may just have to give them the Darwin award so that they at least get something out of this.