John Manard, the inmate infamously known for his daring escape from a Kansas prison hidden in a dog crate, has died at the age of 45 while incarcerated at the La Palma Correctional Facility, CBS News reports.
The Kansas Department of Corrections announced his death on Sunday, noting that the cause remains under investigation, pending the results of an autopsy.
Manard was serving a life sentence for a murder committed in suburban Kansas City when he met Toby Young, a married mother of two working with a program that trained animals for adoption in the prison. The two engaged in a romantic relationship, which ultimately led to Manard’s escape from the Lansing Correctional Facility on February 12, 2006.
According to authorities. Young smuggled Manard out of prison by hiding him in a dog crate. She exploited the trust she had built while running the animal program to drive him away without a thorough search by prison guards, one of whom recognized her but failed to check the van adequately.
The pair was apprehended 12 days later during a traffic stop in east Tennessee on Interstate 75, some 90 miles away from a secluded cabin they were sharing.
After her arrest, Young’s husband filed for divorce. She was convicted for her involvement in the escape and later pleaded guilty in federal court to charges linked to providing Manard with a firearm. Young was released in 2008.
The couple’s escape story attracted media attention, featured on the program “Dateline” and inspiring the Lifetime movie “Jailbreak Lovers.”
