The News & Observer reported that Michael McLellan, who was found guilty of kidnapping and killing 13-year-old Hania Aguilar, made two different attempts to escape from detention in the run-up to his sentence. Prior to and after the court hearing, McLellan, who was given a life sentence without the possibility of release on Friday, attempted to flee.
Burnis L. Wilkins, the sheriff for Robeson County, revealed that while being transported to the courts for his sentence, the defendant had made a homemade key to open his ankle shackles. The News & Observer reports that McLellan was “still in handcuffs attached to a waist chain and was quickly subdued,” despite his ability to break free from these restrictions. A man facing serious accusations was able to create an escape tool while in high-security confinement, which highlighted possible weaknesses in prison transport security protocols.
According to a CBS4 Local story, McLellan was able to get his arms through a gap in the plexiglass barrier of the car after being sentenced. He was able to reach for the deputy’s gun with this maneuver, but he was unable to get it.
The matter that has plagued the Lumberton community since Aguilar’s abduction in 2018 was finally resolved by the sentencing itself. According to ABC11, McLellan pleaded guilty to attacking two additional unrelated victims in instances that occurred between 2016 and 2018 and was found guilty of first-degree murder.
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