Escaped fugitive Michael Burham captured in northwest Pennsylvania

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Michael Burham, the man who has been on the run from police since July 6, has been captured in northwest Pennsylvania, police confirmed Saturday night.

Police say they received a tip just before 4 p.m. about a suspicious person on Jackson Run Road in Conewango Township. Police said a dog was barking at him in a backyard, a homeowner went to see what the dog was barking at. The homeowner recognized him after a brief conversation, where Burham had said he was camping. Police formed a perimeter around the area, where he tried to hide and was taken into custody at gunpoint by 5:50 p.m. following a brief pursuit.

Police said he did not have anything in his immediate possession, but a search will occur in the area where he was found. He was not armed at the time of capture, but ammunition had been found in some bags that were recovered by police in the past handful of days.

He is currently in custody of Pennsylvania State Police, where he is being processed. He will not be brought back to Warren County Jail. He will be arraigned on charges connected to the escape on Saturday night.

Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police described his condition as “worn out,” and said that he was dirty and wet upon his capture. He had changed his top, and was wearing his jail-issued pants inside-out.

Saturday was the ninth day in the search for Burham. He escaped from the Warren County Jail around 11:20 p.m. the evening he escaped.

It brings an end to a crime spree that lasted nearly two months, which began on May 11 when the body of 34-year-old Kala Hodgkin was found in Jamestown, and police responded to a car fire at the home of another ex-girlfriend of his. Burham was later named as a “prime suspect” in Hodgkin’s death. He has not yet faced charges related to her death.

While he ran from police the first time, he allegedly kidnapped an elderly couple in Pennsylvania and drove them down to South Carolina, where he was captured on May 24. He was brought back to the area in June, where he escaped the jail again on July 6. The escape happened during Burham’s recreation time, where he used bed sheets and exercise equipment to rappel down the side of the building. He was being held at Warren County Jail on kidnapping and burglary charges in connection to the alleged kidnapping.

The Warren County Board of Commissioners acknowledged on Wednesday that repairs need to be made to the jail.

There were no official sightings of Burham leading up to his capture. On Friday, Pennsylvania State Police released a video that they had believed to depict Burham, but it was taken back by police earlier in the day on Saturday. Police had said that they received several hundred tips leading up to the capture.

During the search, law enforcement used helicopters and drones to search the area, as well as officers and dogs. Police noted several times that the terrain was difficult to navigate on foot.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.