1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:03,000 - A brilliant mind... 2 00:00:03,125 --> 00:00:05,042 - He's detail-oriented. 3 00:00:05,208 --> 00:00:06,667 He's a very smart guy. 4 00:00:06,833 --> 00:00:08,375 [suspenseful music] 5 00:00:08,542 --> 00:00:11,375 - Trapped in a supermax prison... 6 00:00:11,542 --> 00:00:14,167 - Stabbings occurred almost every night. 7 00:00:14,292 --> 00:00:15,875 - The worst of the worst. 8 00:00:16,042 --> 00:00:17,333 - He just can't take it anymore. 9 00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:19,958 - He discovers its one weakness... 10 00:00:20,042 --> 00:00:23,000 - The only way out is gonna be this window. 11 00:00:23,083 --> 00:00:25,000 - But can he outsmart everything 12 00:00:25,083 --> 00:00:27,000 the prison throws at him... 13 00:00:27,125 --> 00:00:30,417 - The tower guard has the authority to shoot to kill. 14 00:00:30,583 --> 00:00:32,792 - Survive the sweltering Mississippi Delta... 15 00:00:32,917 --> 00:00:34,083 [mosquitoes buzzing] 16 00:00:34,208 --> 00:00:37,208 - The mosquitoes would eat you up in a day. 17 00:00:37,375 --> 00:00:40,167 - And outrun a dangerous cross-country manhunt 18 00:00:40,333 --> 00:00:42,417 that could turn deadly at any moment? 19 00:00:42,542 --> 00:00:44,125 ♪ 20 00:00:44,250 --> 00:00:46,208 - I said, "If you move again, I will shoot you. 21 00:00:46,333 --> 00:00:47,750 Do you understand me?" 22 00:00:47,917 --> 00:00:52,125 ♪ 23 00:00:52,250 --> 00:00:55,333 [dramatic music] 24 00:00:55,458 --> 00:00:56,333 ♪ 25 00:00:56,542 --> 00:00:59,500 - Some of the greatest stories ever told 26 00:00:59,667 --> 00:01:01,542 start behind bars. 27 00:01:01,667 --> 00:01:03,000 [inmates shouting] 28 00:01:03,125 --> 00:01:04,917 Locked up in the most notorious prisons 29 00:01:05,042 --> 00:01:06,583 in the world, 30 00:01:06,750 --> 00:01:11,292 spied on by guards and fellow prisoners, 31 00:01:11,458 --> 00:01:16,333 it takes a devious mind to find a way out. 32 00:01:16,458 --> 00:01:19,750 It could lead you to freedom, 33 00:01:19,875 --> 00:01:21,458 or it could cost you your life. 34 00:01:21,542 --> 00:01:23,250 - [groaning] 35 00:01:23,375 --> 00:01:26,042 - But wouldn't you try 36 00:01:26,208 --> 00:01:28,250 when you have nothing left to lose? 37 00:01:28,375 --> 00:01:33,333 ♪ 38 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:34,667 [door clangs] 39 00:01:34,833 --> 00:01:37,667 [twangy music] 40 00:01:37,875 --> 00:01:43,083 ♪ 41 00:01:43,208 --> 00:01:46,333 The Mississippi Delta, north to south, 42 00:01:46,542 --> 00:01:49,000 runs 200 miles 43 00:01:49,167 --> 00:01:53,583 and is 87 miles at its widest. 44 00:01:53,750 --> 00:01:54,750 Some call the Delta 45 00:01:54,875 --> 00:01:57,125 the most Southern place on Earth. 46 00:01:57,292 --> 00:01:58,500 It's also the site 47 00:01:58,625 --> 00:02:02,542 of the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary, 48 00:02:02,708 --> 00:02:03,750 Parchman. 49 00:02:03,917 --> 00:02:05,542 ♪ 50 00:02:05,708 --> 00:02:10,083 MSP is the oldest prison in the state. 51 00:02:10,208 --> 00:02:14,000 In 1901, the state bought the former plantation 52 00:02:14,125 --> 00:02:16,208 known as Parchman Farm, 53 00:02:16,375 --> 00:02:19,833 the informal name for the prison today. 54 00:02:19,958 --> 00:02:21,833 Prisoners helped build the prison, 55 00:02:21,958 --> 00:02:24,250 nearly all of them Black men 56 00:02:24,375 --> 00:02:28,167 in an exploitative work program. 57 00:02:28,292 --> 00:02:31,333 Parchman quickly became a horrifying place, 58 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:35,500 housing one of the first gas chambers in the country. 59 00:02:35,625 --> 00:02:37,333 ♪ 60 00:02:37,458 --> 00:02:40,667 Today it's notorious for prisoner murders, 61 00:02:40,792 --> 00:02:45,333 suicides, and wretched living conditions-- 62 00:02:45,542 --> 00:02:51,208 rusted pipes, sewage leaks, rodents, and insects. 63 00:02:51,375 --> 00:02:54,333 There's more than one reason to want to escape, 64 00:02:54,542 --> 00:02:59,000 but the prison's unique layout makes that a fool's errand. 65 00:02:59,083 --> 00:03:00,792 ♪ 66 00:03:00,917 --> 00:03:05,083 Parchman is spread out over a jaw-dropping 18,000 acres 67 00:03:05,208 --> 00:03:07,000 of former farmland. 68 00:03:07,083 --> 00:03:09,917 It's known as the prison without walls 69 00:03:10,042 --> 00:03:13,208 because there's no fencing around the widest perimeter, 70 00:03:13,375 --> 00:03:16,708 only around the secure prisoner units. 71 00:03:16,875 --> 00:03:19,625 You would think that this would make it easier 72 00:03:19,792 --> 00:03:23,500 for some of the 2,500 inmates to escape, 73 00:03:23,583 --> 00:03:27,167 but the Delta is its own deterrent. 74 00:03:27,333 --> 00:03:29,708 The prison sits on a marshy floodplain 75 00:03:29,875 --> 00:03:31,625 with unbearable heat, 76 00:03:31,708 --> 00:03:34,167 mud so thick it'll stop you in your tracks, 77 00:03:34,292 --> 00:03:36,333 and mosquitoes so big 78 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:38,542 they could practically carry you away. 79 00:03:38,708 --> 00:03:41,083 - It's a very difficult thing to escape from there 80 00:03:41,167 --> 00:03:43,333 because the land is very flat. 81 00:03:43,542 --> 00:03:46,083 It's very easy to get caught. 82 00:03:46,208 --> 00:03:49,167 - Most never get the chance to run. 83 00:03:49,292 --> 00:03:51,250 The prisoner units are secured 84 00:03:51,375 --> 00:03:53,792 by layers by razor-wire fencing 85 00:03:53,875 --> 00:03:55,167 and armed guard towers 86 00:03:55,375 --> 00:03:57,792 wielding deadly automatic firepower 87 00:03:57,958 --> 00:04:00,333 24 hours a day. 88 00:04:00,417 --> 00:04:04,875 The most infamous is Supermax Unit 32. 89 00:04:05,042 --> 00:04:08,417 [tense music] 90 00:04:08,583 --> 00:04:11,292 If you're one of the unfortunate souls 91 00:04:11,417 --> 00:04:14,500 sent to 32, your life is nothing less 92 00:04:14,708 --> 00:04:17,208 than a relentless assault on decency-- 93 00:04:17,375 --> 00:04:20,500 an unhygienic, violent, 94 00:04:20,625 --> 00:04:24,167 and diseased hellhole that Dante couldn't make up. 95 00:04:24,292 --> 00:04:25,958 [indistinct chatter] 96 00:04:26,083 --> 00:04:29,083 - Unit 32 is the worst of the worst. 97 00:04:29,208 --> 00:04:31,917 - Rapes occur. Stabbings occur. 98 00:04:32,042 --> 00:04:33,333 - [groaning] 99 00:04:33,542 --> 00:04:35,708 - Almost every night, someone would get stabbed 100 00:04:35,833 --> 00:04:37,500 or shanked. 101 00:04:37,708 --> 00:04:40,292 - There are people who have psychological problems. 102 00:04:40,458 --> 00:04:43,167 That creates an almost intolerable situation. 103 00:04:43,333 --> 00:04:45,667 - Unit 32 houses murderers, 104 00:04:45,833 --> 00:04:49,375 psychopaths, and high-threat escape risks, 105 00:04:49,458 --> 00:04:52,167 all side by side. 106 00:04:52,292 --> 00:04:57,167 They're the reason supermax exists. 107 00:04:57,333 --> 00:05:00,167 Unit 32 is surrounded by a double-fenced area 108 00:05:00,250 --> 00:05:02,542 known as the kill zone. 109 00:05:02,750 --> 00:05:05,542 Guard towers surround it with shoot-to-kill orders, 110 00:05:05,750 --> 00:05:10,042 and an armed patrol circles the fence day and night. 111 00:05:10,167 --> 00:05:13,708 The walls of the cell blocks are made of precast concrete 112 00:05:13,875 --> 00:05:17,500 and half a million pounds of reinforced steel. 113 00:05:17,708 --> 00:05:23,000 This means Unit 32 is a place you don't dare try to escape, 114 00:05:23,125 --> 00:05:25,833 but Roy Harper likes a dare. 115 00:05:25,958 --> 00:05:29,500 ♪ 116 00:05:29,667 --> 00:05:32,292 If any prisoner at Parchman has what it takes 117 00:05:32,375 --> 00:05:34,750 to break out, it's Harper. 118 00:05:34,917 --> 00:05:37,875 His story reads like a Southern Gothic novel, 119 00:05:38,042 --> 00:05:40,917 which is fitting, since he manages to write 120 00:05:41,042 --> 00:05:44,333 and publish two books while behind bars. 121 00:05:44,458 --> 00:05:48,375 Good writing requires a detailed, keen mind, 122 00:05:48,500 --> 00:05:51,750 a person who can communicate and persuade. 123 00:05:51,917 --> 00:05:54,750 Roy Harper possesses all these traits. 124 00:05:54,875 --> 00:05:59,708 But above all, Roy Harper is a thinker. 125 00:05:59,833 --> 00:06:00,792 - He's a genius. 126 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,667 He's detail-oriented, and he's a very smart guy. 127 00:06:05,792 --> 00:06:10,250 - In 1981, Roy Harper breaks out of an Arizona prison. 128 00:06:10,375 --> 00:06:13,667 When he's arrested for armed robbery in 1982, 129 00:06:13,750 --> 00:06:16,958 Harper gets the equivalent of a death sentence, 130 00:06:17,083 --> 00:06:20,500 88 years without parole. 131 00:06:20,625 --> 00:06:23,167 He spends eight years in regular maximum security, 132 00:06:23,333 --> 00:06:26,458 but when supermax opens in 1990, 133 00:06:26,583 --> 00:06:28,458 he's one of the first thrown in 134 00:06:28,583 --> 00:06:30,833 because of his high level of escape risk. 135 00:06:30,958 --> 00:06:32,375 [phone dialing] 136 00:06:32,542 --> 00:06:34,083 In a telephone interview, 137 00:06:34,208 --> 00:06:37,875 Harper describes his impressions of Unit 32. 138 00:06:41,375 --> 00:06:44,250 [somber music] 139 00:06:44,375 --> 00:06:51,458 ♪ 140 00:06:56,333 --> 00:06:58,750 - Escape is at the top of Roy Harper's mind 141 00:06:58,958 --> 00:07:02,250 from the moment he enters Unit 32. 142 00:07:02,333 --> 00:07:05,667 In 1993, he tries cutting his way out 143 00:07:05,833 --> 00:07:08,875 with a hacksaw blade, but he's caught. 144 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,375 He can't get through the window covering. 145 00:07:12,542 --> 00:07:13,958 To prevent Harper from escaping, 146 00:07:14,042 --> 00:07:17,333 the system moves him around the unit often. 147 00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:20,792 Frustrated, he petitions the court to stop it. 148 00:07:28,708 --> 00:07:31,167 - Knowing he would not be moved, 149 00:07:31,333 --> 00:07:34,667 Harper can begin planning a more effective escape. 150 00:07:34,875 --> 00:07:37,708 [twangy music] 151 00:07:37,875 --> 00:07:40,292 ♪ 152 00:07:40,458 --> 00:07:42,833 To have a real chance at freedom, 153 00:07:43,042 --> 00:07:46,875 Roy knows he has to not only break out of prison, 154 00:07:47,042 --> 00:07:51,958 but also get out of the Delta and out of Mississippi. 155 00:07:52,125 --> 00:07:54,333 First things first. 156 00:07:54,500 --> 00:07:59,000 If this supermax window stops him again, 157 00:07:59,125 --> 00:08:01,333 nothing else matters. 158 00:08:01,542 --> 00:08:05,042 Now, a thinker like Roy learns from his mistakes, 159 00:08:05,208 --> 00:08:07,333 so he comes up with a clever way 160 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:12,375 to get through the window and not get caught. 161 00:08:12,500 --> 00:08:14,375 - He just can't take it anymore, 162 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:16,792 and so he decides to escape. 163 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:21,167 The only way out is gonna be this window. 164 00:08:21,292 --> 00:08:23,208 - This is no ordinary window. 165 00:08:23,292 --> 00:08:26,833 The walls around it are run through with steel bars. 166 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,667 A bolted-on, cut-proof grate covers the entire window. 167 00:08:31,833 --> 00:08:35,333 Behind that, a steel frame secures six panels 168 00:08:35,500 --> 00:08:38,000 of tempered glass, each reinforced 169 00:08:38,125 --> 00:08:40,375 by galvanized metal wire. 170 00:08:40,583 --> 00:08:42,833 Harper's got his work cut out for him. 171 00:08:42,875 --> 00:08:45,958 With constant observation by the guards, 172 00:08:46,083 --> 00:08:48,333 Harper knows he's going to need money 173 00:08:48,458 --> 00:08:50,333 to get things moving. 174 00:08:50,417 --> 00:08:52,625 In a place like Parchman, 175 00:08:52,708 --> 00:08:55,167 it doesn't take much to smuggle in cash 176 00:08:55,292 --> 00:08:57,292 through the mail or the guards. 177 00:08:57,458 --> 00:08:59,833 In fact, the corrupt guards 178 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,458 are something Parchman is famous for. 179 00:09:03,542 --> 00:09:07,667 - Corruption was a constant problem at Parchman. 180 00:09:07,875 --> 00:09:10,458 You could just about get anything inside Parchman 181 00:09:10,583 --> 00:09:11,583 you wanted to get. 182 00:09:11,792 --> 00:09:13,667 - Guards aren't really paid much, 183 00:09:13,833 --> 00:09:16,333 so they're really more susceptible 184 00:09:16,458 --> 00:09:18,875 to the offer of money. 185 00:09:19,042 --> 00:09:24,167 ♪ 186 00:09:24,250 --> 00:09:30,000 He pays a guard 40 bucks apiece for these hacksaw blades. 187 00:09:30,167 --> 00:09:32,958 [upbeat music] 188 00:09:33,083 --> 00:09:35,875 ♪ 189 00:09:36,083 --> 00:09:39,667 - Harper's got hacksaw blades and thinks he should be able 190 00:09:39,792 --> 00:09:41,667 to cut through the window frame. 191 00:09:41,792 --> 00:09:43,667 But before he can start, 192 00:09:43,833 --> 00:09:46,167 he needs to get the window cover off 193 00:09:46,292 --> 00:09:48,417 that stopped him before. 194 00:09:48,542 --> 00:09:50,958 To remove the screw-headed bolts, 195 00:09:51,125 --> 00:09:55,667 he smuggles in a screw bit from the guards. 196 00:09:55,792 --> 00:09:58,833 The bit fits, but it needs a handle 197 00:09:58,917 --> 00:10:01,250 or some way to get leverage and torque 198 00:10:01,375 --> 00:10:02,917 to turn the bolt head, 199 00:10:03,042 --> 00:10:06,458 while at the same time making sure the guard, 200 00:10:06,625 --> 00:10:09,458 who's 20 feet away watching his every move, 201 00:10:09,583 --> 00:10:12,000 doesn't see him. 202 00:10:12,167 --> 00:10:14,958 [suspenseful music] 203 00:10:15,083 --> 00:10:17,167 Even Harper can't smuggle enough money in 204 00:10:17,333 --> 00:10:21,083 to make the guards turn away from a full-blown escape, 205 00:10:21,208 --> 00:10:23,583 so he has to improvise. 206 00:10:31,458 --> 00:10:33,542 - With cover from the guards, 207 00:10:33,667 --> 00:10:36,042 he can really get to work. 208 00:10:36,167 --> 00:10:38,917 He looks at the light fixture above. 209 00:10:39,042 --> 00:10:42,042 A light bulb goes off in his head. 210 00:10:42,208 --> 00:10:44,417 ♪ 211 00:10:44,625 --> 00:10:46,333 He breaks two pieces of angled iron 212 00:10:46,500 --> 00:10:49,333 from the light fixture, which is made of soft steel. 213 00:10:49,500 --> 00:10:53,500 He bends them into the shape of an elongated handle. 214 00:10:53,667 --> 00:10:56,792 - He's able to use pencil sharpener blades 215 00:10:56,875 --> 00:11:00,333 that he found to cut this soft metal 216 00:11:00,458 --> 00:11:02,542 so he could create a handle, 217 00:11:02,625 --> 00:11:05,167 whereby he can unscrew, essentially, 218 00:11:05,292 --> 00:11:07,375 the window covering. 219 00:11:07,542 --> 00:11:09,667 - Harper's in business. 220 00:11:09,792 --> 00:11:13,125 He's makeshift bolt remover works. 221 00:11:13,292 --> 00:11:16,417 ♪ 222 00:11:16,542 --> 00:11:19,875 He's finally figured out how to get the window cover off 223 00:11:20,042 --> 00:11:22,667 and can now proceed to the next step: 224 00:11:22,792 --> 00:11:24,583 cutting through the frame. 225 00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:26,667 [indistinct chatter, shouting] 226 00:11:26,750 --> 00:11:30,292 But suddenly, a wrench is thrown into the works. 227 00:11:30,458 --> 00:11:35,833 ♪ 228 00:11:35,958 --> 00:11:37,750 Roy has a new neighbor, 229 00:11:37,875 --> 00:11:40,417 a convicted murderer and escape artist, 230 00:11:40,583 --> 00:11:42,958 John "JW" Woolard. 231 00:11:43,083 --> 00:11:44,833 [door clangs] 232 00:11:44,958 --> 00:11:46,625 ♪ 233 00:11:46,708 --> 00:11:49,000 This newcomer to Unit 32 234 00:11:49,167 --> 00:11:51,500 is the kind of problem that can't easily be solved 235 00:11:51,625 --> 00:11:53,667 by MacGyvering a screwdriver 236 00:11:53,750 --> 00:11:55,292 or hiding behind a sheet. 237 00:11:55,417 --> 00:11:57,000 [somber music] 238 00:11:57,125 --> 00:11:59,667 With Woolard taking up residence next door, 239 00:11:59,792 --> 00:12:01,500 all of Harper's plans 240 00:12:01,708 --> 00:12:04,667 and his contraband tools might be thrown-- 241 00:12:04,792 --> 00:12:08,167 well, out the window. 242 00:12:08,292 --> 00:12:11,667 The disciplined, exacting man with a plan 243 00:12:11,833 --> 00:12:15,000 is just dealt a wild card. 244 00:12:15,167 --> 00:12:17,000 Will he fold, 245 00:12:17,167 --> 00:12:18,833 or will the thinker figure out a way 246 00:12:18,958 --> 00:12:21,458 to keep his escape plan on track? 247 00:12:21,542 --> 00:12:22,917 ♪ 248 00:12:27,375 --> 00:12:30,208 [tense music] 249 00:12:30,375 --> 00:12:32,625 ♪ 250 00:12:32,750 --> 00:12:37,625 - Roy Harper is all set to break out of Unit 32. 251 00:12:37,750 --> 00:12:39,833 He's got his hacksaw blades 252 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,167 and a way to get the window cover off. 253 00:12:43,292 --> 00:12:46,000 He's developed a cunning system to shield himself 254 00:12:46,167 --> 00:12:48,917 from the guard so he can work on the window infrastructure. 255 00:12:49,042 --> 00:12:54,375 But there's an unexpected wrinkle in his plans. 256 00:12:54,542 --> 00:12:59,625 Convicted murder John Woolard, who's serving a life sentence, 257 00:12:59,750 --> 00:13:02,042 is his new neighbor. 258 00:13:02,167 --> 00:13:05,583 - John Woolard arrived in Unit 32, 259 00:13:05,708 --> 00:13:09,750 literally in the cell next to Roy Harper. 260 00:13:09,875 --> 00:13:11,458 - Woolard had his own reputation 261 00:13:11,583 --> 00:13:16,625 as a person who had escaped custody in the past. 262 00:13:16,750 --> 00:13:18,708 He was serving a life sentence without parole 263 00:13:18,917 --> 00:13:21,167 for murder and kidnapping. 264 00:13:21,292 --> 00:13:23,958 - Harper knows Woolard's reputation. 265 00:13:24,083 --> 00:13:26,333 He's dangerous and unpredictable 266 00:13:26,542 --> 00:13:29,833 and has an even worse escape habit than Harper. 267 00:13:29,958 --> 00:13:33,083 In a twist of fate, Woolard recently tried 268 00:13:33,208 --> 00:13:36,000 to break out of Parchman, but they caught him. 269 00:13:36,167 --> 00:13:39,500 If Woolard tries to escape again before Harper 270 00:13:39,625 --> 00:13:41,208 and the guards get wise to it, 271 00:13:41,375 --> 00:13:43,542 they'll shake down the whole tier, 272 00:13:43,708 --> 00:13:46,000 including Harper's cell. 273 00:13:46,125 --> 00:13:48,500 - Roy Harper was already plotting an escape, 274 00:13:48,667 --> 00:13:49,792 but now, all of a sudden, 275 00:13:49,875 --> 00:13:51,875 this is gonna interfere with all that. 276 00:13:52,042 --> 00:13:55,083 The last thing he wanted was a shakedown, 277 00:13:55,208 --> 00:13:57,625 because he already had these items 278 00:13:57,708 --> 00:13:59,583 that were contraband. 279 00:13:59,708 --> 00:14:00,917 - Harper, 280 00:14:01,083 --> 00:14:03,167 the persuasive thinker that he is, 281 00:14:03,292 --> 00:14:05,833 decides to do something shrewd: 282 00:14:05,958 --> 00:14:08,042 recruit Woolard. 283 00:14:08,208 --> 00:14:09,375 ♪ 284 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:11,208 He can talk more freely with Woolard 285 00:14:11,375 --> 00:14:15,250 when the prisoners are allowed one hour of yard time a day. 286 00:14:15,375 --> 00:14:18,083 - In the case of inmates in 32, 287 00:14:18,208 --> 00:14:20,625 they were outside of their cells only one hour a day, 288 00:14:20,750 --> 00:14:22,250 and that was for an exercise yard 289 00:14:22,375 --> 00:14:24,000 or for a shower. 290 00:14:24,167 --> 00:14:27,417 It is possible to converse during yard time. 291 00:14:38,750 --> 00:14:40,333 - Even though a two-man team 292 00:14:40,417 --> 00:14:42,875 increases the chance of getting caught, 293 00:14:43,042 --> 00:14:45,500 it's better than a unit shakedown. 294 00:14:45,625 --> 00:14:47,792 And if they do make it outside, 295 00:14:47,917 --> 00:14:51,125 an accomplice might come in handy. 296 00:14:51,208 --> 00:14:54,167 The thinker has a collaborator. 297 00:14:54,292 --> 00:14:55,542 ♪ 298 00:14:55,708 --> 00:14:58,083 [tense music] 299 00:14:58,208 --> 00:15:00,125 They meet in the yard every day 300 00:15:00,250 --> 00:15:03,708 and lay out their plan. 301 00:15:03,875 --> 00:15:07,000 Stage 1 is getting through the window. 302 00:15:07,167 --> 00:15:10,167 Stage 2 is getting across the prison yard 303 00:15:10,292 --> 00:15:11,917 and through the outer fence. 304 00:15:12,083 --> 00:15:15,500 Stage 3 will be to make it off the Delta 305 00:15:15,625 --> 00:15:17,000 and out of Mississippi. 306 00:15:17,125 --> 00:15:18,417 Each of these stages 307 00:15:18,542 --> 00:15:21,333 will require preparation and luck, 308 00:15:21,375 --> 00:15:24,250 especially making it across the yard. 309 00:15:24,333 --> 00:15:26,167 Once they get through their windows, 310 00:15:26,292 --> 00:15:29,167 which, by luck, are on the first floor, 311 00:15:29,292 --> 00:15:31,458 the plan is to crawl along a narrow strip 312 00:15:31,542 --> 00:15:35,250 of shadow that runs along C-block. 313 00:15:35,375 --> 00:15:38,167 Next they face 50 feet of wide-open yard 314 00:15:38,333 --> 00:15:42,167 monitored by guard towers and floodlights. 315 00:15:42,333 --> 00:15:45,042 If they're lucky enough to not be spotted, 316 00:15:45,167 --> 00:15:47,333 they are running to the kill zone, 317 00:15:47,542 --> 00:15:50,500 a double razor-wire fence they'll have to cut through 318 00:15:50,583 --> 00:15:52,458 with hacksaws. 319 00:15:52,542 --> 00:15:54,583 If they make it through the fences, 320 00:15:54,708 --> 00:15:56,167 they have to just pray 321 00:15:56,292 --> 00:16:00,292 one of the perimeter patrol vehicles doesn't drive by. 322 00:16:00,458 --> 00:16:01,333 ♪ 323 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:04,125 - Roy Harper, who had masterminded 324 00:16:04,250 --> 00:16:06,958 and broken out of prisons before, 325 00:16:07,083 --> 00:16:10,333 took a lot of time to find a weakness 326 00:16:10,458 --> 00:16:14,333 where he could breach and get out of his facility. 327 00:16:14,458 --> 00:16:17,625 It took some planning, and it took some time. 328 00:16:17,750 --> 00:16:20,833 - Harper knows what he and Woolard are attempting 329 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,833 is incredibly risky, but he's not stupid. 330 00:16:24,917 --> 00:16:27,417 He knows to have any chance, 331 00:16:27,542 --> 00:16:31,250 they're going to need supplies. 332 00:16:31,375 --> 00:16:35,917 They smuggle in two red death-row jumpsuits, 333 00:16:36,042 --> 00:16:37,708 much darker than the white-striped 334 00:16:37,875 --> 00:16:39,917 Unit 32 uniform. 335 00:16:40,125 --> 00:16:42,000 - There's a color-coding system 336 00:16:42,208 --> 00:16:45,125 used by Mississippi to identify the custody level. 337 00:16:45,250 --> 00:16:47,875 Solid red death-row inmate pants 338 00:16:48,042 --> 00:16:49,417 cut down on the white reflection 339 00:16:49,542 --> 00:16:52,750 that their red and white uniforms may have made. 340 00:16:52,875 --> 00:16:55,500 ♪ 341 00:16:55,625 --> 00:16:59,167 - To cover their faces, Harper makes a dark cream 342 00:16:59,250 --> 00:17:03,250 by burning paper and mixing the ash with Vaseline. 343 00:17:03,375 --> 00:17:04,583 Both will increase the chance 344 00:17:04,708 --> 00:17:08,000 of slipping through the yard undetected. 345 00:17:08,167 --> 00:17:09,542 Harper's also smart enough 346 00:17:09,708 --> 00:17:13,292 to realize once they get past the fences, 347 00:17:13,458 --> 00:17:16,500 they face the inhospitable Delta, 348 00:17:16,625 --> 00:17:18,833 where pesticides leach into the water, 349 00:17:19,042 --> 00:17:21,792 making it undrinkable. 350 00:17:21,917 --> 00:17:23,500 They throw bottles of clean water 351 00:17:23,667 --> 00:17:27,917 into makeshift backpacks made out of prison jackets. 352 00:17:28,083 --> 00:17:34,958 ♪ 353 00:17:35,125 --> 00:17:37,083 With their supplies gathered, 354 00:17:37,208 --> 00:17:39,083 Harper and Woolard turn their attention 355 00:17:39,208 --> 00:17:41,792 back to the window. 356 00:17:41,917 --> 00:17:44,000 Woolard has his own hacksaw blades, 357 00:17:44,125 --> 00:17:47,833 but Harper lets him borrow his makeshift wrench. 358 00:17:47,958 --> 00:17:49,833 Harper is trying to cut his window 359 00:17:49,958 --> 00:17:52,458 when suddenly he hears a disturbance 360 00:17:52,625 --> 00:17:55,792 outside his cell followed by a booming voice 361 00:17:55,875 --> 00:17:58,875 that echoes through Unit 32, 362 00:17:59,042 --> 00:18:01,667 a voice he isn't quite keen on. 363 00:18:01,750 --> 00:18:05,000 ♪ 364 00:18:05,167 --> 00:18:08,375 It's the warden making his rounds. 365 00:18:08,500 --> 00:18:10,625 With the window cover sitting against the wall 366 00:18:10,750 --> 00:18:13,375 and Harper holding a hacksaw, 367 00:18:13,542 --> 00:18:17,875 he's about to be caught red-handed. 368 00:18:18,042 --> 00:18:19,583 ♪ 369 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,833 [tense music] 370 00:18:27,042 --> 00:18:29,333 ♪ 371 00:18:29,542 --> 00:18:32,875 - Roy Harper and John Woolard are several weeks 372 00:18:33,042 --> 00:18:37,792 into planning their escape from Parchman's notorious Unit 32. 373 00:18:37,917 --> 00:18:44,250 Their only way out is through a window in their cells. 374 00:18:44,375 --> 00:18:49,125 While Harper is trying to saw through the window frame, 375 00:18:49,250 --> 00:18:52,958 the voice of the warden stops him in his tracks. 376 00:18:53,042 --> 00:18:56,333 ♪ 377 00:18:56,458 --> 00:18:59,167 - He's working on the window, 378 00:18:59,333 --> 00:19:03,958 and he already has the window covering down 379 00:19:04,083 --> 00:19:06,042 when the warden comes by. 380 00:19:06,208 --> 00:19:09,292 [suspenseful music] 381 00:19:09,417 --> 00:19:10,833 ♪ 382 00:19:10,958 --> 00:19:12,292 - This is one of those times 383 00:19:12,458 --> 00:19:15,583 when good fortune really comes in handy. 384 00:19:15,708 --> 00:19:22,000 ♪ 385 00:19:22,083 --> 00:19:25,208 He gets up in the warden's face. 386 00:19:25,375 --> 00:19:28,833 He smiles brightly. 387 00:19:28,958 --> 00:19:31,417 - And he's hoping and praying 388 00:19:31,542 --> 00:19:34,292 that the warden will keep his focus on him 389 00:19:34,458 --> 00:19:39,958 rather than spot the window covering is missing already. 390 00:19:40,042 --> 00:19:43,917 - Sometimes fortune favors the bold, 391 00:19:44,042 --> 00:19:45,667 because the warden becomes distracted 392 00:19:45,833 --> 00:19:47,208 by other raucous inmates... 393 00:19:47,375 --> 00:19:49,708 [indistinct shouting] 394 00:19:49,875 --> 00:19:52,500 And simply moves on. 395 00:19:52,708 --> 00:19:56,500 ♪ 396 00:19:56,667 --> 00:19:59,500 [twangy music] 397 00:19:59,708 --> 00:20:03,750 ♪ 398 00:20:03,917 --> 00:20:08,292 The next day, Harper and Woolard are back at it, 399 00:20:08,375 --> 00:20:11,250 but they run into an unexpected problem. 400 00:20:11,375 --> 00:20:13,833 Harper realizes not only the window frame, 401 00:20:13,917 --> 00:20:17,083 but the mechanism holding the window louvers in place, 402 00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:20,125 are made of reinforced cut-proof steel. 403 00:20:20,250 --> 00:20:24,292 The hacksaws aren't making a dent. 404 00:20:24,417 --> 00:20:26,750 After overcoming numerous challenges, 405 00:20:26,875 --> 00:20:30,333 this new obstacle knocks the wind out of him. 406 00:20:30,458 --> 00:20:33,708 How could the great thinker have overlooked this? 407 00:20:33,875 --> 00:20:38,042 But Harper and men like him have a ruthless determination. 408 00:20:38,167 --> 00:20:40,375 It's built into their psyches. 409 00:20:40,542 --> 00:20:43,333 Harper looks for another detail he can exploit, 410 00:20:43,458 --> 00:20:45,167 another way through. 411 00:20:45,375 --> 00:20:48,167 He notices that the seam of the window box 412 00:20:48,333 --> 00:20:50,500 in the wall looks different. 413 00:20:50,625 --> 00:20:53,292 - This window has reinforced steel, 414 00:20:53,417 --> 00:20:55,500 and so they begin to experiment. 415 00:20:55,625 --> 00:20:59,000 He hacksawed into this metal box 416 00:20:59,125 --> 00:21:00,333 below the window. 417 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:02,167 - Harper tries the hacksaw 418 00:21:02,292 --> 00:21:04,833 and is able to saw the seam of the window box 419 00:21:04,958 --> 00:21:07,042 made of softer metal. 420 00:21:07,208 --> 00:21:08,667 Lifting the top of the box, 421 00:21:08,792 --> 00:21:11,333 he's able to access a control box 422 00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:13,333 that releases the window louvers, 423 00:21:13,458 --> 00:21:16,042 then puts the top back down. 424 00:21:16,208 --> 00:21:18,125 With the mechanism released, 425 00:21:18,250 --> 00:21:20,000 Roy can remove the louvers from the window 426 00:21:20,167 --> 00:21:24,333 without having to get through the cut-proof frame. 427 00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:27,333 They're back in business. 428 00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:29,458 Stage 1 is complete. 429 00:21:29,583 --> 00:21:32,333 They've conquered the supermax window, 430 00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:35,750 but they can't just crawl out in the middle of the day. 431 00:21:35,875 --> 00:21:38,833 To hide the cut marks until they can make their break, 432 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,625 the thinker comes up with his own brand of spackle. 433 00:21:54,958 --> 00:21:57,792 [tense music] 434 00:21:57,917 --> 00:22:02,375 ♪ 435 00:22:02,542 --> 00:22:05,000 - It's a hot summer night in May. 436 00:22:05,125 --> 00:22:07,208 Harper and Woolard are ready, 437 00:22:07,375 --> 00:22:09,208 but they need to be out of their cells 438 00:22:09,375 --> 00:22:12,583 at exactly the same time for their plan to work. 439 00:22:12,667 --> 00:22:15,000 - They plotted out for the appropriate time 440 00:22:15,208 --> 00:22:16,375 when they're gonna escape, 441 00:22:16,542 --> 00:22:18,500 which was in the middle of the night, obviously. 442 00:22:18,667 --> 00:22:22,542 - They wait until the last cell checks at midnight. 443 00:22:22,667 --> 00:22:24,875 To synchronize their progress, 444 00:22:25,042 --> 00:22:27,708 they signal to each other once it's time to move 445 00:22:27,833 --> 00:22:29,833 to the next step. 446 00:22:30,042 --> 00:22:33,792 Step one, they hang sheets over their cells, 447 00:22:33,917 --> 00:22:37,042 then uncover the window. 448 00:22:37,167 --> 00:22:41,542 Step two, they change into their death-row jumpsuits 449 00:22:41,708 --> 00:22:44,500 and prepare a dummy in their beds. 450 00:22:44,667 --> 00:22:46,958 They figure they'll have till sunup, 451 00:22:47,042 --> 00:22:50,500 but stuffing old clothes with newspaper and magazines 452 00:22:50,625 --> 00:22:52,292 would buy them more time 453 00:22:52,417 --> 00:22:54,667 and keep the guards from noticing. 454 00:22:54,833 --> 00:22:58,542 Finally, step three, they throw their supplies 455 00:22:58,625 --> 00:23:00,375 and strings attached to their sheets 456 00:23:00,500 --> 00:23:01,500 out the window. 457 00:23:01,625 --> 00:23:03,667 ♪ 458 00:23:03,792 --> 00:23:07,292 With all steps complete and the pair in sync, 459 00:23:07,417 --> 00:23:08,500 it's go time. 460 00:23:08,625 --> 00:23:15,625 ♪ 461 00:23:26,708 --> 00:23:28,625 On the outside, the first thing they do 462 00:23:28,792 --> 00:23:30,500 is try to cover up their tracks. 463 00:23:47,125 --> 00:23:48,833 - They darken their faces 464 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,792 with the concoction that Harper cooked up. 465 00:23:51,958 --> 00:23:54,000 Things are going according to plan, 466 00:23:54,125 --> 00:23:57,208 but the greatest test is on the prison grounds, 467 00:23:57,375 --> 00:24:00,708 where cameras, patrols, and a gun tower 468 00:24:00,875 --> 00:24:04,750 could, in one quick moment, seal their fate. 469 00:24:04,917 --> 00:24:06,667 ♪ 470 00:24:06,792 --> 00:24:09,417 They begin crawling along the narrow bit of shadow 471 00:24:09,583 --> 00:24:12,750 that hugs cell block C and into the yard, 472 00:24:12,875 --> 00:24:15,625 hoping the tower guards don't notice. 473 00:24:15,708 --> 00:24:18,083 ♪ 474 00:24:31,458 --> 00:24:33,833 - Between the interior fence and the outer fence 475 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,167 is a "kill zone," as it's called. 476 00:24:36,292 --> 00:24:37,708 If they're discovered in that area, 477 00:24:37,875 --> 00:24:39,417 that tower guard has the authority 478 00:24:39,542 --> 00:24:42,167 to shoot to kill. 479 00:24:42,292 --> 00:24:45,083 - If you get beyond the first fence, 480 00:24:45,208 --> 00:24:47,917 they're gonna shoot first and ask questions later. 481 00:24:48,042 --> 00:24:50,458 ♪ 482 00:24:50,542 --> 00:24:54,500 - Harper and Woolard start to saw the chain-link. 483 00:24:54,625 --> 00:24:57,458 The guard tower does not spot them. 484 00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:11,500 - Harper and Woolard move through fence one 485 00:25:11,667 --> 00:25:13,333 into the kill zone. 486 00:25:13,458 --> 00:25:16,292 [suspenseful music] 487 00:25:16,417 --> 00:25:18,750 ♪ 488 00:25:18,875 --> 00:25:20,833 They start cutting the second fence 489 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:23,292 when suddenly a bright light shines 490 00:25:23,417 --> 00:25:25,042 through the circular razor wire, 491 00:25:25,208 --> 00:25:26,083 blinding them. 492 00:25:26,208 --> 00:25:28,125 ♪ 493 00:25:28,250 --> 00:25:31,625 They're literally caught in the headlights. 494 00:25:31,750 --> 00:25:34,042 Unit 32's perimeter patrol 495 00:25:34,208 --> 00:25:36,917 could spell "doom" for Harper and Woolard. 496 00:25:37,042 --> 00:25:38,875 ♪ 497 00:25:43,208 --> 00:25:46,042 [tense music] 498 00:25:46,208 --> 00:25:48,333 ♪ 499 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:50,458 - Is the perimeter patrol about to end 500 00:25:50,583 --> 00:25:52,458 the carefully detailed escape plans 501 00:25:52,583 --> 00:25:55,708 of Roy Harper and John "JW" Woolard? 502 00:25:55,917 --> 00:25:57,375 ♪ 503 00:25:57,542 --> 00:26:00,500 They cross the kill zone unscathed, 504 00:26:00,708 --> 00:26:02,958 cut through the second fence, 505 00:26:03,083 --> 00:26:07,333 only to be met by an armed patrol vehicle. 506 00:26:07,542 --> 00:26:09,792 ♪ 507 00:26:09,958 --> 00:26:13,292 - They start hacksawing through the second fence, 508 00:26:13,375 --> 00:26:16,083 and a patrol happened to come by 509 00:26:16,208 --> 00:26:18,125 at that exact same moment. 510 00:26:27,583 --> 00:26:30,375 [suspenseful music] 511 00:26:30,542 --> 00:26:31,917 ♪ 512 00:26:32,042 --> 00:26:34,958 [engine revving] 513 00:26:42,208 --> 00:26:45,750 - Amazingly, they get another stroke of luck, 514 00:26:45,917 --> 00:26:48,167 and the vehicle passes them by. 515 00:26:48,292 --> 00:26:52,250 - This is it, but somehow the patrol goes by. 516 00:26:52,375 --> 00:26:53,917 [upbeat country music] 517 00:26:57,542 --> 00:27:00,958 ♪ 518 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:18,000 ♪ 519 00:27:19,667 --> 00:27:22,917 - Harper and Woolard have cleared Unit 32, 520 00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:25,833 but their escape is not yet complete. 521 00:27:25,958 --> 00:27:28,375 They enter stage 3 of their plan: 522 00:27:28,500 --> 00:27:32,292 get out of the Delta and get as far away from Mississippi 523 00:27:32,417 --> 00:27:34,000 as they can. 524 00:27:34,125 --> 00:27:37,167 They know they'll have until a few hours after sunup 525 00:27:37,250 --> 00:27:40,542 to disappear, so they run off into the night. 526 00:27:40,708 --> 00:27:46,000 ♪ 527 00:27:46,167 --> 00:27:49,500 At daybreak, Harper and Woolard have been on foot 528 00:27:49,583 --> 00:27:53,750 traversing the hot, humid Mississippi Delta for hours. 529 00:27:53,917 --> 00:27:55,208 They're an easy target, 530 00:27:55,333 --> 00:27:58,000 since much of the Delta is flat land. 531 00:27:58,208 --> 00:28:01,583 Sure that a search party will be soon on their tail, 532 00:28:01,708 --> 00:28:03,167 they've got to get to cover. 533 00:28:03,292 --> 00:28:05,125 If they can make it to nightfall, 534 00:28:05,208 --> 00:28:07,292 they stand a better chance of not getting caught 535 00:28:07,375 --> 00:28:08,833 in the Delta. 536 00:28:09,042 --> 00:28:11,833 - The sun comes out, and you're gonna be seen 537 00:28:11,958 --> 00:28:15,208 if you're moving around, so they hide in a thicket. 538 00:28:15,375 --> 00:28:17,583 ♪ 539 00:28:17,750 --> 00:28:20,833 [tense music] 540 00:28:20,958 --> 00:28:24,833 ♪ 541 00:28:24,917 --> 00:28:26,583 - It turns out, they had more time 542 00:28:26,708 --> 00:28:28,417 than they thought. 543 00:28:28,583 --> 00:28:30,625 The dummies do their job, 544 00:28:30,750 --> 00:28:32,792 and the guards don't notice they're gone 545 00:28:32,958 --> 00:28:34,833 until hours after sunrise, 546 00:28:35,042 --> 00:28:39,042 giving Harper and Woolard a 12-hour head start. 547 00:28:39,167 --> 00:28:42,667 - So hours later, they noticed that Harper didn't eat his meal 548 00:28:42,875 --> 00:28:45,875 and thought, "Well, that's odd." 549 00:28:46,042 --> 00:28:49,042 - There was a inmate delivering food 550 00:28:49,167 --> 00:28:51,708 that actually informed the staff 551 00:28:51,875 --> 00:28:54,042 that something was wrong. 552 00:28:54,167 --> 00:28:56,167 The sergeant called for a takedown team. 553 00:28:56,250 --> 00:28:59,042 ♪ 554 00:28:59,208 --> 00:29:02,458 - A group of riot guards burst into Harper's cell, 555 00:29:02,542 --> 00:29:05,250 where they meet the dummy Harper 556 00:29:05,417 --> 00:29:07,458 and his breakout window. 557 00:29:07,625 --> 00:29:08,917 - Once that discovery is made, 558 00:29:09,042 --> 00:29:10,792 the prison itself goes on lockdown. 559 00:29:10,875 --> 00:29:12,292 [alarm blaring] 560 00:29:12,375 --> 00:29:14,833 - Harper and Woolard have gotten a head start, 561 00:29:14,958 --> 00:29:16,708 making it much harder for law enforcement 562 00:29:16,875 --> 00:29:18,958 to apprehend them. 563 00:29:19,042 --> 00:29:21,667 - The first 24 hours in a prison escape 564 00:29:21,875 --> 00:29:24,167 is absolutely critical 565 00:29:24,250 --> 00:29:27,208 because it is when the vast majority 566 00:29:27,375 --> 00:29:29,750 of people who've escaped from prison get caught. 567 00:29:29,875 --> 00:29:32,333 - You are trying to contain an inmate 568 00:29:32,500 --> 00:29:34,208 within certain boundaries, 569 00:29:34,375 --> 00:29:37,833 so learning as much as you can as quickly as you can 570 00:29:37,958 --> 00:29:40,167 helps facilitate their capture. 571 00:29:40,375 --> 00:29:42,333 - At the FBI office, we were notified 572 00:29:42,458 --> 00:29:46,750 two individuals had escaped from Parchman. 573 00:29:46,833 --> 00:29:48,000 We sent out what's called an "EC," 574 00:29:48,083 --> 00:29:49,917 or an electronic communication, 575 00:29:50,083 --> 00:29:53,667 to all FBI offices all throughout the United States. 576 00:29:53,875 --> 00:29:55,875 [siren wailing] 577 00:29:56,083 --> 00:29:57,667 - Even with a head start, 578 00:29:57,833 --> 00:30:00,167 Harper and Woolard are not in the clear. 579 00:30:00,292 --> 00:30:02,833 Sleep-deprived, they're bogged down 580 00:30:03,042 --> 00:30:07,000 in a humid, muddy Delta, waiting for night. 581 00:30:07,167 --> 00:30:10,167 - It was 100 degrees, mosquitoes everywhere. 582 00:30:10,250 --> 00:30:13,250 They're huge, and they will smother you. 583 00:30:20,375 --> 00:30:22,708 - They tried to stay as still as possible. 584 00:30:22,875 --> 00:30:24,208 Over the din of the mosquitoes, 585 00:30:24,375 --> 00:30:25,333 they hear voices. 586 00:30:25,458 --> 00:30:26,833 [indistinct shouting] 587 00:30:26,958 --> 00:30:29,458 A search party is in the vicinity. 588 00:30:29,583 --> 00:30:31,292 - [whistling] 589 00:30:31,375 --> 00:30:34,333 [indistinct shouting] 590 00:30:34,417 --> 00:30:35,375 - Come on! 591 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:38,458 - Eventually, the sounds fade. 592 00:30:38,542 --> 00:30:39,833 They've avoided capture. 593 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:43,708 [tense music] 594 00:30:43,875 --> 00:30:45,667 For a week, they hide 595 00:30:45,875 --> 00:30:48,000 and make their way across the Delta, 596 00:30:48,083 --> 00:30:51,083 surviving on the meager amount of clean water and food 597 00:30:51,208 --> 00:30:53,083 they've carried in the backpacks. 598 00:30:55,708 --> 00:31:02,958 ♪ 599 00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:11,292 - They'd gone to a little town called Webb, Mississippi, 600 00:31:11,458 --> 00:31:13,750 found a house, hunkered down outside, 601 00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:15,333 watching this house. 602 00:31:15,458 --> 00:31:17,333 Again, very methodical. 603 00:31:17,458 --> 00:31:19,958 Sunday, church time, 604 00:31:20,083 --> 00:31:23,250 and this old couple apparently walked outside 605 00:31:23,375 --> 00:31:25,000 to get into their car. 606 00:31:25,125 --> 00:31:32,125 ♪ 607 00:31:34,167 --> 00:31:36,917 - Harper and Woolard decide they need that car 608 00:31:37,042 --> 00:31:39,042 if they're gonna make it out of Mississippi 609 00:31:39,208 --> 00:31:43,333 and complete the final stage of their escape. 610 00:31:43,542 --> 00:31:46,708 While they wait for the couple to return from church, 611 00:31:46,833 --> 00:31:49,167 they help themselves to the house. 612 00:31:49,292 --> 00:31:50,417 ♪ 613 00:31:55,417 --> 00:31:56,625 - Dying from hunger, 614 00:31:56,708 --> 00:31:58,583 they storm the fridge, cupboards, 615 00:31:58,708 --> 00:32:01,833 and stuff themselves to their hearts' content. 616 00:32:01,958 --> 00:32:04,042 They change into stolen clothes. 617 00:32:04,208 --> 00:32:07,292 Then they notice something incredible. 618 00:32:07,417 --> 00:32:10,167 [upbeat music] 619 00:32:10,292 --> 00:32:13,333 [cocks gun] An arsenal of firepower 620 00:32:13,375 --> 00:32:14,958 in the pantry. 621 00:32:15,042 --> 00:32:18,458 Pistols, shotguns, ammo. 622 00:32:18,625 --> 00:32:20,000 For Harper and Woolard, 623 00:32:20,083 --> 00:32:23,167 it's Christmas morning in June. 624 00:32:23,375 --> 00:32:28,167 ♪ 625 00:32:28,375 --> 00:32:31,125 [tense music] 626 00:32:31,292 --> 00:32:33,792 When they hear the car of the elderly couple 627 00:32:33,917 --> 00:32:35,792 pull into the driveway, 628 00:32:35,875 --> 00:32:38,500 they stake out positions in the house. 629 00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:42,000 The elderly couple walks towards the kitchen door. 630 00:32:42,167 --> 00:32:45,208 Let's hope they said their morning prayers. 631 00:32:45,375 --> 00:32:46,917 ♪ 632 00:32:47,042 --> 00:32:48,500 [door clicks] 633 00:32:48,625 --> 00:32:52,667 ♪ 634 00:32:57,042 --> 00:33:00,083 [twangy music] 635 00:33:00,208 --> 00:33:07,125 ♪ 636 00:33:08,208 --> 00:33:10,667 - Woolard and Harper have eluded the authorities 637 00:33:10,833 --> 00:33:12,875 for nearly a week. 638 00:33:13,042 --> 00:33:14,500 Now they've broken into the home 639 00:33:14,625 --> 00:33:15,750 of an elderly couple, 640 00:33:15,875 --> 00:33:19,542 where they've found food and weapons. 641 00:33:19,667 --> 00:33:23,875 The elderly couple is just returning home from church. 642 00:33:24,042 --> 00:33:27,667 Woolard and Harper, shotguns at the ready, 643 00:33:27,750 --> 00:33:29,833 await their arrival. 644 00:33:30,042 --> 00:33:31,208 [clicks tongue] 645 00:33:31,375 --> 00:33:34,333 They're in for the surprise of their lives. 646 00:33:34,500 --> 00:33:37,333 [tense music] 647 00:33:37,417 --> 00:33:44,125 ♪ 648 00:33:53,042 --> 00:33:55,292 - Harper conveys instructions. 649 00:33:55,458 --> 00:33:58,458 He won't hurt them. He just wants their car. 650 00:33:58,583 --> 00:34:02,167 They comply and hand over the keys. 651 00:34:02,333 --> 00:34:04,625 They tie the couple up and part ways. 652 00:34:04,750 --> 00:34:08,292 Harper and Woolard now have their getaway vehicle. 653 00:34:08,417 --> 00:34:15,292 ♪ 654 00:34:16,792 --> 00:34:18,000 - They have a car. 655 00:34:18,125 --> 00:34:19,625 They have clothing. 656 00:34:19,708 --> 00:34:23,250 They're hitting the road, and they're free. 657 00:34:23,375 --> 00:34:25,292 They've done what the vast majority 658 00:34:25,375 --> 00:34:27,458 of people who escape from prison 659 00:34:27,542 --> 00:34:29,333 aren't able to do, which is essentially 660 00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:31,625 made it beyond that first day. 661 00:34:31,750 --> 00:34:34,125 - They hightail it out of Mississippi. 662 00:34:34,292 --> 00:34:36,667 Harper and Woolard have done it. 663 00:34:36,833 --> 00:34:40,708 They made it out of Unit 32, out of the Delta, 664 00:34:40,833 --> 00:34:43,875 and Mississippi is in their rearview mirror. 665 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,208 They just have to disappear. 666 00:34:46,375 --> 00:34:48,292 Unfortunately for them, 667 00:34:48,458 --> 00:34:51,417 an interstate manhunt is just heating up, 668 00:34:51,542 --> 00:34:56,167 a hunt that's just changed from on foot to in vehicle. 669 00:34:56,292 --> 00:34:58,292 What could possibly go wrong? 670 00:34:58,375 --> 00:35:00,333 [siren wailing] For starters, 671 00:35:00,542 --> 00:35:02,250 when police rescue the elderly couple 672 00:35:02,375 --> 00:35:04,167 a few hours later, 673 00:35:04,333 --> 00:35:07,417 they learn exactly what car they should be looking for. 674 00:35:07,583 --> 00:35:10,083 - The question becomes "Okay, what direction? 675 00:35:10,250 --> 00:35:11,292 Where did they go with this car?" 676 00:35:11,375 --> 00:35:13,167 Again, we put out another 677 00:35:13,292 --> 00:35:15,792 BOLO, or "Be On the Lookout," 678 00:35:15,917 --> 00:35:18,667 for this vehicle and this tag. 679 00:35:18,750 --> 00:35:21,833 - The fugitives make their way north through Arkansas 680 00:35:21,875 --> 00:35:24,542 and head towards West Virginia. 681 00:35:24,708 --> 00:35:26,917 With law enforcement in multiple states 682 00:35:27,042 --> 00:35:29,292 now tracking a Chevy Caprice, 683 00:35:29,375 --> 00:35:32,750 Harper soon realizes they've got to change vehicles. 684 00:35:32,917 --> 00:35:36,417 In a motel parking lot, they attack and steal a van 685 00:35:36,583 --> 00:35:38,917 from an unsuspecting patron. 686 00:35:39,042 --> 00:35:40,875 ♪ 687 00:35:41,083 --> 00:35:44,250 - [groaning] [blows landing] 688 00:35:44,375 --> 00:35:46,875 ♪ 689 00:35:47,042 --> 00:35:48,500 [keys jingling] 690 00:35:48,708 --> 00:35:52,000 ♪ 691 00:35:52,125 --> 00:35:54,042 - Thinking one step ahead, 692 00:35:54,167 --> 00:35:56,833 Harper and Woolard paint the brown van blue 693 00:35:56,958 --> 00:35:58,292 and put different plates on it 694 00:35:58,375 --> 00:36:01,917 to make it look like a whole other vehicle. 695 00:36:02,042 --> 00:36:03,917 They head west into Indiana, 696 00:36:04,083 --> 00:36:06,208 but this is where Woolard's brashness 697 00:36:06,375 --> 00:36:08,667 starts to become a liability. 698 00:36:08,792 --> 00:36:11,583 They get caught speeding. 699 00:36:11,708 --> 00:36:18,500 ♪ 700 00:36:23,458 --> 00:36:24,583 - You know, we just wait for people 701 00:36:24,708 --> 00:36:27,833 to make stupid mistakes once they're out, 702 00:36:27,958 --> 00:36:31,167 and that certainly occurred here with John Woolard 703 00:36:31,250 --> 00:36:34,542 speeding down the road, and he gets stopped. 704 00:36:34,750 --> 00:36:37,667 [siren wailing] 705 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:42,917 - Officer Raymond Coleman approaches the van cautiously. 706 00:36:48,958 --> 00:36:51,583 [suspenseful music] 707 00:36:55,625 --> 00:36:56,500 [gunshot] 708 00:36:56,583 --> 00:36:58,000 - Woolard fires at the officer, 709 00:36:58,167 --> 00:36:59,625 but the shot misses, 710 00:36:59,792 --> 00:37:02,167 and the discharge blows him backward. 711 00:37:02,292 --> 00:37:04,167 [tires squealing] 712 00:37:11,042 --> 00:37:14,208 [gunshots] 713 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,333 - A high-speed chase begins. 714 00:37:17,417 --> 00:37:20,500 Harper begins to fire from the van. 715 00:37:20,583 --> 00:37:21,667 - It's the worst of the worst. 716 00:37:21,750 --> 00:37:23,333 They're convicted violent felons 717 00:37:23,542 --> 00:37:25,500 and have engaged law enforcement 718 00:37:25,667 --> 00:37:27,708 in a gun battle. 719 00:37:27,875 --> 00:37:30,542 - Officer Jim Poling joins the pursuit 720 00:37:30,667 --> 00:37:33,667 as the outlaws head into Crown Point, Indiana, 721 00:37:33,833 --> 00:37:37,292 recording the chase on his dash cam. 722 00:37:37,417 --> 00:37:39,833 - So I immediately jumped in my squad car. 723 00:37:39,958 --> 00:37:41,500 It's the major leagues, 724 00:37:41,708 --> 00:37:43,042 and you gotta step up to the plate. 725 00:37:43,208 --> 00:37:44,542 The stress--it--it's a mess. 726 00:37:44,667 --> 00:37:47,000 I probably had my squad car well over 100, 727 00:37:47,083 --> 00:37:48,167 just trying to catch up to 'em. 728 00:37:48,292 --> 00:37:49,792 - With the help of a spike-filled 729 00:37:49,958 --> 00:37:51,417 tire-deflation device, 730 00:37:51,542 --> 00:37:53,542 officers pop the van's tires... 731 00:37:53,708 --> 00:37:55,667 [tires screeching] Causing sparks, 732 00:37:55,792 --> 00:37:57,917 forcing the van off the interstate 733 00:37:58,042 --> 00:37:59,667 into a truck stop. 734 00:37:59,792 --> 00:38:02,542 Harper and Woolard are cornered. 735 00:38:02,667 --> 00:38:04,208 - I'm figuring that this is gonna end 736 00:38:04,333 --> 00:38:05,500 somewhere in the truck stop, 737 00:38:05,667 --> 00:38:07,542 but we're not gonna let 'em escape. 738 00:38:07,708 --> 00:38:14,500 ♪ 739 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:30,417 [groaning] 740 00:38:35,042 --> 00:38:37,792 ♪ 741 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,333 - Rapid fire exchanges 742 00:38:41,458 --> 00:38:44,875 between Harper and Woolard and the officers, 743 00:38:44,958 --> 00:38:48,250 but their shots aren't having much effect. 744 00:38:48,375 --> 00:38:52,125 The thinker once again thinks ahead. 745 00:38:52,208 --> 00:38:53,833 - We managed to discover they had put 746 00:38:53,917 --> 00:38:55,708 some clothing and luggage 747 00:38:55,875 --> 00:38:57,667 on the side of that van inside of it, 748 00:38:57,750 --> 00:38:59,708 and it was like a fortress. 749 00:38:59,833 --> 00:39:02,417 Our pistol rounds were basically doing nothing. 750 00:39:02,542 --> 00:39:04,833 - Harper and Woolard make a break for it. 751 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,292 Amidst the chaos of sirens and gunfire, 752 00:39:08,417 --> 00:39:10,500 they miraculously get away. 753 00:39:10,667 --> 00:39:14,417 They're on the run again and back on foot 754 00:39:14,583 --> 00:39:16,958 into the Indiana night. 755 00:39:21,208 --> 00:39:24,792 [somber music] 756 00:39:24,958 --> 00:39:27,917 - With nearby towns on high alert, 757 00:39:28,083 --> 00:39:29,500 Harper and Woolard hide 758 00:39:29,625 --> 00:39:32,458 and sneak around rural Indiana for two days. 759 00:39:32,542 --> 00:39:35,333 Badly in need of water and food, 760 00:39:35,542 --> 00:39:37,583 they head out of the woods. 761 00:39:44,875 --> 00:39:48,500 - But that's exactly when they run into the law again. 762 00:39:48,625 --> 00:39:51,333 ♪ 763 00:39:51,500 --> 00:39:52,792 - I drove around 764 00:39:52,875 --> 00:39:55,875 and saw the two individuals come out of the woods, 765 00:39:56,042 --> 00:39:59,167 and then they were walking right toward me. 766 00:39:59,250 --> 00:40:00,792 That's when I confirmed 767 00:40:00,917 --> 00:40:02,292 that this was the two individuals 768 00:40:02,375 --> 00:40:04,042 that we were looking for. 769 00:40:04,125 --> 00:40:06,625 - Officer Turturillo had never fired a weapon 770 00:40:06,792 --> 00:40:10,125 in all of his years on the St. John police force, 771 00:40:10,250 --> 00:40:12,667 and now he's face to face 772 00:40:12,875 --> 00:40:14,667 with two of the most dangerous, 773 00:40:14,875 --> 00:40:18,375 cunning criminals he will ever meet. 774 00:40:24,917 --> 00:40:26,542 ♪ 775 00:40:26,708 --> 00:40:28,542 - I stayed in the cover of my car. 776 00:40:28,708 --> 00:40:30,458 I was standing with the door open, 777 00:40:30,583 --> 00:40:32,917 and when they got about five feet 778 00:40:33,042 --> 00:40:34,208 from the front of my car, 779 00:40:34,333 --> 00:40:35,208 that's when I took my gun out 780 00:40:35,375 --> 00:40:36,708 and I drew down on them. 781 00:40:36,875 --> 00:40:37,917 ♪ 782 00:40:43,708 --> 00:40:47,375 ♪ 783 00:40:47,542 --> 00:40:50,292 - Woolard put his hands on the front of the car. 784 00:40:50,417 --> 00:40:52,292 Harper put his hands 785 00:40:52,375 --> 00:40:53,917 on the left front fender of the car. 786 00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,125 And I'm getting ready to get them on the ground 787 00:40:56,292 --> 00:40:58,083 so we can wait for backup 788 00:40:58,208 --> 00:40:59,458 so we can get them handcuffed, 789 00:40:59,542 --> 00:41:01,917 and Woolard looked right in Harper's eyes, 790 00:41:02,083 --> 00:41:02,958 and he said... 791 00:41:05,542 --> 00:41:09,333 [dramatic music] 792 00:41:09,458 --> 00:41:11,458 - As soon as he started running, 793 00:41:11,583 --> 00:41:13,458 Harper's right hand came off 794 00:41:13,625 --> 00:41:15,917 the left front fender of the car. 795 00:41:16,083 --> 00:41:18,333 And as soon as I saw him move his hand, 796 00:41:18,417 --> 00:41:20,167 I kept my sights on him, and I said, 797 00:41:20,292 --> 00:41:21,917 "If you move again, I will take it 798 00:41:22,042 --> 00:41:24,000 "as an act of aggression, and I will shoot you. 799 00:41:24,167 --> 00:41:25,000 Do you understand me?" 800 00:41:25,208 --> 00:41:26,125 And he said, "Yes, sir." 801 00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:45,375 ♪ 802 00:41:45,542 --> 00:41:48,625 [somber music] 803 00:41:48,750 --> 00:41:49,583 ♪ 804 00:41:49,750 --> 00:41:51,583 - Two hours later, 805 00:41:51,708 --> 00:41:54,292 Woolard crashes a van on the interstate-- 806 00:41:54,458 --> 00:41:56,333 another van he stole at gunpoint 807 00:41:56,542 --> 00:41:58,417 from a nearby car wash. 808 00:41:58,542 --> 00:42:01,750 He's cuffed and arrested moments later. 809 00:42:01,917 --> 00:42:04,250 ♪ 810 00:42:04,375 --> 00:42:05,792 Harper's story doesn't end 811 00:42:05,958 --> 00:42:08,458 after he's sent back to Parchman. 812 00:42:08,667 --> 00:42:10,792 Appalled by the conditions, 813 00:42:10,958 --> 00:42:13,500 he becomes part of a prison reform movement 814 00:42:13,708 --> 00:42:17,417 that finally succeeds in closing Unit 32 815 00:42:17,625 --> 00:42:20,917 due to the violations of basic human rights. 816 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:23,333 That was in 2010. 817 00:42:23,500 --> 00:42:25,500 Six years later, 818 00:42:25,583 --> 00:42:28,042 his first novel is published. 819 00:42:28,250 --> 00:42:31,000 In it, he writes, 820 00:42:31,167 --> 00:42:34,500 "A man should have a personal code of conduct, 821 00:42:34,542 --> 00:42:37,333 "a code of laws to live by 822 00:42:37,417 --> 00:42:40,542 "which you feel in your heart are right. 823 00:42:40,708 --> 00:42:44,125 "Then never deviate from them, 824 00:42:44,292 --> 00:42:45,833 even when it hurts." 825 00:42:45,958 --> 00:42:47,833 ♪ 826 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:49,875 "Live life by your own rules" 827 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,708 is a philosophy Harper still believes in. 828 00:42:53,875 --> 00:42:58,500 But today, and for many years to come, 829 00:42:58,667 --> 00:43:00,625 he's in Colorado, 830 00:43:00,792 --> 00:43:03,583 serving a life sentence in a supermax 831 00:43:03,750 --> 00:43:06,667 and living by someone else's rules.