July 9, 2025

OMAHA, Neb. — An escapee who had been convicted of kidnapping, robbery, burglary, and criminal damage in an Anderson County home invasion in 2009 has been recaptured. Eric James, 22, was captured Friday night in Omaha, Neb., the Kansas Department of Corrections said. He was arrested along with a vehicle stolen from Minneapolis during the escape from the Ottawa County jail. He is awaiting extradition to Kansas. James was one of four Ellsworth inmates who escaped from the Ottawa County jail early Wednesday morning. James was the last escapee to be captured. The four were among 19 inmates from the Ellsworth prison farmed out to Ottawa County because of overcrowding and state budget cuts. Several newspapers reported that after the escapes last week, the state transferred all of the remaining inmates back to Ellsworth. Also on Wednesday, child molester Gary Furthmyer walked away from his minimum-security job at Lansing prison. He remains at large.
Monday, April 23, 7 a.m.

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