Fugitive Killer Caught While Sipping Coffee Montana Escapee Was Waiting To Check Into Pocatello Motel

A convicted murderer who escaped from the Montana State Prison on Saturday was arrested early Monday while waiting for a motel room.

Sherman Hawkins, 58, was being held in the Bannack County Jail pending his return to Montana.

Prison officials said he would be charged with escape and auto theft in Montana, and would lose all “good time” accumulated toward early release.

Hawkins was arrested about 6:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn’s coffee shop. He was still driving a red GMC crew-cab pickup truck taken from the prison in Deer Lodge, Mont., Pocatello Police Sgt. Robert Scott said.

Scott said Hawkins had no credit card when he tried to check in, but gave the motel clerk a credit card number.

“They ran a check on the number and discovered there was some irregularity with it,” he said.

Dana Eldredge, a prison spokesman, said Montana prison officials had discovered the numbers and notified credit card issuers, who flagged the numbers for merchants.

Motel personnel called police, and four officers with guns drawn surrounded Hawkins in the motel coffee shop and arrested him, Scott said.

Missoula television station KPAX reported a motel clerk had told Hawkins a room was being cleaned for him, and suggested he wait in the coffee shop.

Hawkins had last been seen about 2 p.m. Saturday at the Montana prison’s carpenter shop, where he worked.

Prison officials believe he cut through a chain-link fence, and that the keys may have been left in the truck.

As a minimum custody inmate, Hawkins was under random supervision.

Hawkins was sentenced to life plus 37 years in 1973 for the murder of his first wife.

He escaped in 1976 and received an additional three-year sentence. While on furlough in 1987, Hawkins was charged with assault and criminal possession of dangerous drugs. He was eligible for parole in 1995, but it was denied.