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Noah Remnick writes in the NYT that as the clock ticks on Richard Matt and David Sweat who escaped from maximum-security Clinton Correctional Facility last weekend, experts say the two escaped killers are increasingly likely to evade capture for a substantial period. "A lot of escapes are spontaneous and the guys get tripped up because they don't know where to go," says Terry Pelz. "These guys know where to go. Most guys get caught after a few hours because they don't have a plan. These guys planned their escape and planned it well, so it could take much longer to catch them." Experts say there are some cardinal rules for living off the grid. "Your first priority is finding a secure place and a source of money," says Darrin Giglio. "You don't want anything traceable, so you'll either have to establish a new identity or get paid off the books, maybe as a day laborer."
Cellphone, credit cards, and surveillance cameras have added new layers of complication and possibility for both fugitives and law enforcement. "If they're smart, fugitives can really take advantage of technology," says Frank Ahearn, a New York-based skip-tracer turned skip-maker and author of "How to Disappear". "They can buy prepaid cellphones and credit cards. Their apartments, cars and bank accounts can be set up under anonymous corporations. They can live almost entirely virtually. That wasn't possible in the past." To combat such trickery, police departments have access to increasingly sophisticated and far-reaching forms of search and surveillance. "It's easier than ever to comb through enormous amounts of data. And with surveillance cameras all over the place, the only way to avoid detection might be changing appearance. Some people even get plastic surgery," says Giglio. "It's like being in the witness protection program. To be successful, you have to give up your entire past. Most people can't do that." Under such agonizing circumstances, there is no shortage of ways to blunder. Escapees often return home or place phone calls to friends and family members, whom the police might be tracking. Other times it is an escapee's suspicious behavior that tips off bystanders. "A lot of inmates who are legitimately released encounter a confusing new life," says Pelz. "They don't know how to drive cars, use cellphones, use credit cards. They need to re-educate themselves. That can trip up escapees too. Even if it's a well-planned escape, people get sloppy."
Original Submission
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday June 12 2015, @10:59PM
the news stories are all about how that prison was only twenty miles from the Canadian border. While they might go there - and it's easy to cross in some places - they would be foolish to do so.
It's easy for Canadians to spot Americans, eh?
If they ever consulted a doctor they would not have medicare cards. While one can pay cash then they know you're not Canadian.
Also they would not have Canadian Social Insurance numbers.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by VortexCortex on Saturday June 13 2015, @01:45AM
Also they would not have Canadian Social Insurance numbers.
Not really sure how much this matters. Hydro One (Canadian hydroelectric company) called me up and said my bill was past due. They cited my "SSI" -- It was a USA social security number, and someone had managed to set up power under my stolen US identity in Canada. Perhaps today the computers are more connected such that hospitals, electric companies, and etc. can verify a SSI number, but having seen the guts of said computer systems I HIGHLY doubt it.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Saturday June 13 2015, @02:34AM
but if you want to get a job you need a SIN.
I have both an american SSN and a Canadian SIN but I don't recall how many digits it has.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Saturday June 13 2015, @09:57AM
So you say having killed someone isn't enough of a sin?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Saturday June 13 2015, @10:22AM
for that, you have to flee the police after your car backfires.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]