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November 17, 2005
One Iowa prison escapee is captured in southern Illinois

By Kevin Dobbs
Register Staff Writer

Police in southern Illinois this morning captured convicted murderer Martin Shane Moon, 34, who escaped along with another inmate from the Iowa State Penitentiary at Fort Madison on Monday.

A Chester, Ill., city police officer found Moon alone sleeping in a car in rural Randolph County. Moon fled and ran into a wooded area. The officer called for back-up, and about 25 minutes later, a police dog found Moon hiding in a tree.

Moon was unarmed and "easily apprehended," Chester Police Chief Don McKinney said. Moon is being held in the Randolph County jail until Iowa authorities pick him up later today.

Randolph County is about 90 minutes south of St. Louis, along the Mississippi River. It was not clear early today why Moon was in Illinois, but he was found parked near a maximum security prison.

"I don't think he knew where he was. It was probably a coincidence – probably," said Detective Shannon Wolff of the county's sheriff's office. "We don't know for sure how he got that far."

Moon, who was serving a life sentence, escaped the prison with 27-year-old Robert Joseph Legendre, serving life for attempted murder and kidnapping in the state of Nevada. Wolff said he had no new information on Legendre, and the search for him continues.

Moon was found in an "older blue Ford," McKinney said. Officials are still searching for a 1995 gold Pontiac Bonneville with Iowa plates 776 NOW. Shortly after the escape Monday night, that car was stolen in Fort Madison, and authorities believed that one or both fugitives might have stolen the vehicle.

Iowa authorities said the two men used an improvised rope and a grappling hook to scale a limestone prison wall. They fled the prison near a guard tower was vacant due state budget cuts. They escaped over the west wall of the prison, which is about one block from U.S. Highway 61 and about two blocks from a bridge over the Mississippi River crossing into Illinois.

Law enforcement officials in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois have all joined the manhunt.

Gov. Tom Vilsack said an investigation has been launched and those responsible for the security lapse will be held responsible.

‘‘When the job is not done, people are going to be held accountable and responsible,’’ Vilsack said. ‘‘There were a series of mistakes that were made.’’

Vilsack said there’s no sense seeking to assess blame until the investigation is complete.

‘‘I don’t think fingerpointing advances the process at all,’’ he said.

Vilsack said he would hold another briefing later today to discuss the situation.

Moon was imprisoned in July 2000 and was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Kevin Dickson in Clarke County. Legendre was convicted in a fatal beating case in Nevada and was transferred to Iowa in December 2004.

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