Escaped Prisoner Captured Inside Church (With Exclusive Photos)

May 20, 2014

An escaped prisoner was taken into custody late Monday night, about 10 hours after he first fled from a work site and sparked a large manhunt near Barrineau Park.

Nolan Ray McDaniel, 25, reportedly made a phone call  just after 11 p.m. Monday from a phone inside the Lathram Chapel Methodist Church on Jacks Branch Road.

Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputies and officers from the Escambia County Road Prison surrounded the church. McDaniel did not immediately surrender to authorities; they were forced to search for him. Officers entered and searched the main sanctuary with no success. Officers then entered an adjacent education and fellowship building, emerging a few moments later at about 11:30 p.m. with McDaniel in custody.

McDaniel was an inmate at the Escambia County Road Prison. He   had been on the run since about 1:30 Monday afternoon after he was discovered missing from a work site near the area of Jacks Branch Road and Schifko Road — just a short distance from where he was taken into custody.

McDaniel, according to jail records, was arrested April 18 on charges of methamphetamine production, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a listed chemical. His jury trial was set to begin on July 14. He was released in late 2012 from Century Correctional Institution after service a sentence related to a 2009 a domestic violence strangulation case from Santa Rosa County.

McDaniel was charged with escape Monday night, and he was also charged with burglary and criminal mischief for breaking into the church.

Members of Lathram Chapel Methodist Church were quick to praise the actions of the Road Camp officers and Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies.  A Bible study was scheduled for early Tuesday morning at the church. “Imagine what would have happened if we’d walked in on him,” one church member said.

Editor’s note: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said late Monday morning that Nolan did not call authorities from inside the church, but that he called “an acquaintance”.

Pictured: Escaped Escambia County Road Prison inmate Nolan Ray McDaniel was taken into custody without incident late Monday night inside a building at the Lathram Chapel Methodist Church on Jacks Branch Road. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

20 Responses to “Escaped Prisoner Captured Inside Church (With Exclusive Photos)”

  1. Christine on May 21st, 2014 7:31 pm

    To all the Law Enforcement Officers – Job well done!!! Thank you for your dedication:)

  2. jmyers on May 21st, 2014 5:02 pm

    This is exactly why I won’t allow these Road Crews anywhere near my property. Came home one day two years ago when they were supposed to be clearing out a drainage culvert only to find them a 100 yards from the county right away on my property running a chainsaw. There was no way the deputy could say he was in control of their actions because they were well out of his sight. I told him to get those people off my property or I would file criminal trespassing charges. They promptly packed up and moved along.

    I agree these folks need to be out there working, but they should not be allowed in residential neighborhoods.

  3. Alan Douglas on May 20th, 2014 10:42 pm

    Brotherhood….Sheriff Morgan did not take a crap on the jail and the CO’s. Gene Valentino took the jail away from Morgan. So Gene, how’s that working out for you? Jail blew up due to your criminal negligence and inmates are just walking away from work parties. You are sure saving the taxpayers money. LOL

  4. Doodaloo on May 20th, 2014 10:32 pm

    By statute, he can work at the camp. Most of them are not dumb enough to escape and add an automatic five years to their misery. Apparently he was……..u can’t fix stupid.

  5. Brotherhood on May 20th, 2014 5:28 pm

    It’s good to see ECSO deputies working together with officers from the road camp. Just because Sheriff Morgan took a big crap on the correctional officers of Escambia County; is doesn’t mean there still isn’t a brotherhood!!!!

  6. Rufus Lowgun on May 20th, 2014 5:07 pm

    So a guy thats done time previously for trying to strangle someone, and then gets arrested for cooking meth ends up on the road gang? How does that happen, exactly? You would think trying to strangle someone would make you a violent offender, and you would further conclude that violent offenders wouldn’t be out in neighborhoods digging ditches and what have you.

  7. LEO GUY on May 20th, 2014 11:19 am

    @Roger

    Whut we have here, is a failure to communicate.

  8. Come to Jesus Meeting on May 20th, 2014 9:45 am

    He wanted to get right with the Lord.

  9. Becky on May 20th, 2014 9:22 am

    And everyone said not to worry cause he was locked up for just drugs! But now seeing he has a strangulation conviction against him, glad I was cautious!

  10. Roger on May 20th, 2014 9:15 am

    Brings to mind this movie scene: DRAGLINE: Luke, are you alright?… They got us, boy. They’re out there thicker’n flies. Bosses and dogs and sheriffs and more guns than I ever seen in my life. We don’t have a chance, Luke…
    They caught up with me right after we split up and they was aimin’ to kill you, Luke. But I got ‘em to promise if you give up peaceful, they wouldn’t even whip you this time.

  11. Steve on May 20th, 2014 9:13 am

    He could not have been a be a work release inmate AND be at the Escambia County Road Prison. Two completely different things.

  12. molino jim on May 20th, 2014 9:06 am

    @429SCJ– Sounds sort of like CoolHand Luke. I guess it’s like the saying goes— “what we have here is a failure to commentate”.

  13. Jacks Branch on May 20th, 2014 8:36 am

    Thank Heaven he was caught. I was worried he’d get in my yard and my dogs would kill him and I’d have a lawsuit. Have not seen the husky or the missing border collie, btw. Been keeping an eye out for both.

    Great job LEO’s!

  14. NWFLA Linda on May 20th, 2014 7:37 am

    Glad he surrendered! If any law enforcement personnel who were out there looking for him yesterday are reading this – and not to minimize in any way the work you do – did anyone happen to see a white husky dog in the area of Schifko/Jacks Branch Roads? He’s been missing for a week so is probably looking quite “thrifty” – his sister was recovered near Perdido Lake Road on Jacks Branch. Prior to this inmate’s escape, Sabo was seen in the area of Chestnut/Schifko/Barrineau Park Roads. Again, please know, I don’t minimize the importance and danger of the work y’all do. But, law enforcement eyes were all over that area yesterday so thought maybe it couldn’t hurt to ask?! Not my dog. I look every day when I commute thru the area and figured it couldn’t hurt to ask!!

  15. Rebecca on May 20th, 2014 7:25 am

    when will people learn? now he’s gonna be back in prison/jail when he could’ve been free. that’s sad.

  16. 429SCJ on May 20th, 2014 7:00 am

    A few days and nights in the box will help him get right.

  17. Lee on May 20th, 2014 5:55 am

    Thanks to all who worked to bring this to a close. I know Pastor Pam and all the members of Lathram Chapel thank you and pray for all involved.

  18. Concerned Public on May 20th, 2014 5:37 am

    It may be a bit of an adminstrative burden, but law enforcement agencies need to update photos of inmates as soon as their appearance changes while in custody. Old booking photos do not do the public, who by the way pays the bills, any good when they’re concerned with what an escapee actually looks like. And relase pictures of the individual’s tatoos as a public safety measure in the effort to help find them.

  19. well on May 20th, 2014 5:05 am

    Do y’all give…..
    Okay I’m tired of this game, I’m in the church.

  20. Kimberly on May 20th, 2014 3:00 am

    woke up from a dead sleep to check on NE to see if there was an update on this. Thank the Lord he was captured. I have kids and grandchildren and this was pretty scary. I hope this young man took this time to talk to Jesus, realized he had made another bad choice and gave himself up. I’ll be praying for Mr. McDaniel.
    TY NE for the update!