Fugitive Caught After 37 Years On The Lam

On Monday, a woman who escaped prison in 1977 and went missing for over three decades was found in San Diego living under an assumed name. Judy Lynn Haymann, now 60, was sentenced to 16 months to two years in prison for attempted larceny. After serving about half of her sentence, she escaped from a Michigan prison at the age of 23 and disappeared for the next 37 years.

But on Monday, her gig was up. San Diego police, acting on a tip from the Michigan Department of Corrections, found Haymann living in an apartment under the name Jamie Lewis. While she presented official documents identifying her as Lewis, the arresting officers weren’t convinced, in part because of how similar she looked to the woman in the old 1970s mugshot.

“Her eyes gave her away,” San Diego officer Kevin Mayer said. “The eyes in the picture matched the eyes of this woman.”

The situation was undoubtedly made more awkward by the presence of Haymann’s son, who was visiting at the time. He was born five years after his Hayman’s escape, and according to the arresting officers, was shocked to learn that his mom was actually a fugitive living under a fake name.

The officers took her to the local police station, where she admitted her true identity. She’s now awaiting extradition to Michigan, but no court date has been set.

Photo credit: AP/Michigan Department of Corrections