The last convicted murderer to escape from a NC prison and remain on the run, prior to James Ladd, is 47-year-old Martin Pedron, who also escaped from Tillery Correctional Center in Halifax County. He's been on the run since 1996.
It was just this last summer that WITN examined the number of convicted killers from NC prisons on the run.
Department of Correction records show there are currently 155 escapees. Twelve of those are convicted killers and three are from Eastern Carolina.
Robert McWilliams, 64-years-old, was convicted of second degree murder in Nash County in 1970 and has been on the run since escaping 34-years ago while working outside of Henderson Correctional Center.
Melvin Jones, 69-years-old, was convicted of first degree murder in Hertford County in 1963. He was serving a life sentence at Halifax Correctional Center and has been on the run for 35-years after escaping from an outside work assignment at the Caledonia Farm.
Erasmo Tamayo was convicted of second degree murder in Onslow County in 1988 and escaped 18-years ago from Davidson Correctional Center, also a minimum security unit.
Department of Public Safety officials say while they can't talk specifics about ongoing searches and investigations, the cases remain active.
