Ailing fugitive headed back to Md. years after prison escape

RALEIGH, N.C. -- An ailing 81-year-old North Carolina man who escaped from a Maryland prison 43 years ago was taken into custody Friday to face extradition, a move his attorneys decried as a waste of time because he is ill and aging.

Willie Parker, who suffers from several health problems, only served about a quarter of his sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon before escaping in 1965. He was tracked down in February as part of a Maryland effort to clear outstanding warrants.

Parker, who has been living in North Carolina, was unexpectedly arrested during a court hearing Friday, said defense attorney Andrew Jackson. He said Parker was held for about an hour before extradition documents arrived from Gov. Mike Easley's office.

"The general sentiment is why are we wasting our time with this old man. We've got plenty of other crime up here in Maryland," said Warren Brown, one of Parker's attorneys. "He's a sick man, requiring hospitalization at times, and they would have to bear the cost."

It was unclear when Maryland authorities will arrive in North Carolina, though Parker's attorneys said its unlikely to happen before Monday. Brown said he plans ask Maryland's Parol Commission to release Parker rather than hold him in prison.

Rick Binetti, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, said Maryland officials will decide how much time he owes once he is returned.

"He'll essentially pick up where he left off," Binetti said. "It looks like he would be eligible for a parole hearing because he served a quarter of his original sentence."

Parker was arrested after Maryland authorities reviewing old case files discovered he had a North Carolina driver's license. U.S. Marshals found Parker in bed at a home in rural Clinton, a town south of Raleigh, where he was being cared for by a nurse. Parker was later released on bond to await a formal extradition request from Maryland authorities.

The sudden nature of the extradition arrest Friday upset Jackson, partly because of Parker's health condition. Parker suffers from diabetes, heart trouble, hepatitis and stroke complications.

"He didn't have any of his medication or a change of clothes," Jackson said.

Sampson County Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Bergstad said the court hearing was scheduled and her office couldn't release details because Parker was free on bond.

"He's a fugitive," Bergstad said.

She said Parker indicated during the hearing he would not fight the extradition.

After his 1965 escape, he was arrested several times under different identities around the country.

While later serving a jail sentence in Washington state, Parker said he was told Maryland had dropped its detainer on him. He went back to using his real name and worked in New York collecting money from city parking meters. He was collecting veteran and Social Security benefits, and had been voting.