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| Hunt for Escapee and Girlfriend Focuses on Montana |
(Aug. 10) -- Authorities hunting for an Arizona prison escapee and his cousin/fiancee, who see themselves as a modern "Bonnie and Clyde," focused on Montana today.
John McCluskey and Casslyn Welch are armed and dangerous, Fidencio Rivera, chief deputy U.S. marshal for Arizona, said on CBS's "The Early Show." He said the hunt was concentrated in western Montana.
McCluskey, 45, and two other inmates broke out of the private Arizona State Prison near Kingman on July 30 after Welch allegedly tossed wire cutters over a fence.
Inmate Daniel Renwich, 37, was caught in Colorado two days after the escape, and Tracy Province, 42, was arrested Monday in a small northern Wyoming town east of Yellowstone National Park.
While on the run, McCluskey, Province and Welch were linked to the slaying of a couple in New Mexico whose bodies were found Wednesday in a charred camper.
David Gonzales, the U.S. marshal for Arizona, said the fugitives "have nothing to lose" and may not give up without a fight.
"It changes by the minute, but we are convinced that they are not going to go down lightly," Gonzales told CNN.
Officials say the pair has likened themselves to Bonnie and Clyde.
They think it's "some type of a joke that they are living, but it is not," Gonzales told reporters. "This is a very serious business."
Two women in Arizona, including McCluskey's mother, were charged with helping the inmates escape, The Associated Press reported. McCluskey's stepfather, Jack Washburn, said he hopes McCluskey is caught.
"You guys think you're Bonnie and Clyde?" he said, according to NBC's "Today" show. "You're far from it."
Rivera said the best outcome would be for McCluskey and Welch to surrender, though it seems unlikely.
"The worst fear is another incident like Santa Rosa, N.M., could happen again," Rivera said on CBS. "They've demonstrated a propensity for violence. All three of them were serving time in prison for homicide, for attempted homicide."
Province was caught while walking down the street in Meeteetse, Wyo., near a church where he worshipped a day earlier.
"He was involved in prayer just like any Christian who walked through our doors would be," church-goer Jay Curtis said, according to "Today."
A congregant at the Meeteetse Community Church recognized him and called authorities. Before he was arrested, Province said he was broke and was hired by the church to cut the grass.
"Like any good pastor, I talked about tithing," Ron Kingston said this morning on the "Today" show. "He wanted to tithe off the $40."
Jim Gould, the church's treasurer, said he could tell Province was lying about some parts of his story. "Watching him, you could tell he was not a very good person," Gould said on NBC.
A guest at a motel across the street from the church let him spend the Sunday night on the floor, motel owner Bobby Long told "Today."
The next morning, when he walked down the street, Kingston called authorities. Province was arrested with a 9 mm handgun and a hitchhiking sign that read "Casper," according to reports.
"There wasn't a gunfight," Kingston said. "Everything worked out real good. I'm thankful to God for his protection over our town."
