This past Wednesday a man was caught by authorities in Colorado who escaped from a Florida prison almost 32 years ago. He was sentenced to life at this prison in Florida and managed to escape during a power outage at night on August 17, 1979. Frederick Barrett, now 60 years old; is the man who got away from the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. Apparently, U.S. Marshal Officers had to dress up as forest firefighters to reach Barrett in his remote cabin in Montrose County, Colorado. According to officials he was going by the name Neil Meltzer. Officials used a tattoo on Barrett’s right hand of a cross and dot to help identify him. Steve Davenport, special agent supervisor of the Department of Law Enforcement in Florida stated “The trail was cold.” and “It’s really, really difficult to track somebody who’s been out for thirty years.” But with the use of databases and public records investigators were fortunate enough to find out where Barrett was traveling to, and eventually pinned him in Colorado. After turning up a marijuana growing house and multiple guns in Barrett’s Colorado home, he now faces drug and gun charges besides escape charges, in Florida. Barrett was originally convicted for murdering a companion of his when they were traveling down the Florida Turnpike back in February of 1971. According to officials, Barrett and another man were hitchhiking and got picked up by a man named Carl Ardolino. While Ardolino was driving, Barrett choked him from behind and with the help of the other man they drowned Ardolino’s body. Ardolino’s family members were relieved to hear the news that Barrett was finally recaptured after all these years.



