Boise-area prison escapee accused of brutally killing two men in North Central Idaho pleads guilty to murder

The man who cut his own wrists so he could flee a Boise prison pleaded guilty on Wednesday to killing two men in north-central Idaho after his escape.

As part of the plea deal, Skylar Meade, a 33-year-old white supremacist gang member, will spend the rest of his life in prison instead of receiving the death penalty as originally sought by prosecutors. He also waived his right to appeal, Nez Perce County prosecutors announced in a news release.

During the same 24 hours in March of last year, Meade killed 83-year-old James Mauney from Juliaetta, Idaho, while he was walking his dogs, then shot and killed 72-year-old Gerald “Don” Henderson at his Orofino cabin.

Both killings followed Meade’s violent prison escape assisted by his friend, 29-year-old Nicholas Umphenour. The brazen escape prompted a 36-hour manhunt .

“This decision was made after careful consideration and after multiple conversations with law enforcement and, most importantly, the victims’ families,” Nez Perce County Prosecutor Justin Coleman said. “Through this agreement, Meade has admitted to the killings of Mr. Mauney and Mr. Henderson. Meade will spend the rest of his life locked up. The victims’ families and communities will be spared a difficult and prolonged trial and appeal process.”

Meade, who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the escape, began cutting himself in prison so he could be transported to Boise’s Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for treatment. When corrections officers went to take him back to prison, Umphenour appeared in the emergency department’s ambulance bay and began shooting at the officers in an attempt to help Meade flee from custody. They both were able to escape in a car and drove north, investigators believe.

After Mauney was killed, the two fugitives are believed to have driven to Henderson’s cabin. Investigators were able to connect Meade to the crime because his prison shackles and Mauney’s missing dogs were found in the cabin. Henderson’s partner, Ron Thompson, said Henderson and Umphenour knew each other from many years ago when Umphenour needed a place to stay. But it wasn’t long until Henderson kicked him out for “violent tendencies,” Thompson told The Spokesman-Review last year.

Prosecutors sought the death penalty for Meade for Mauney’s killing, calling his death “senseless and random.”

Coleman wrote in his death penalty filing Meade exhibited an utter disregard for human life, that Mauney’s murder was committed with reckless indifference to human life and Meade is a continuing threat to society. The death penalty was taken off the table as part of the guilty plea.

Umphenour, who was charged with a felony for allegedly damaging jail property earlier this year, has not been charged in Henderson’s death. He will face a jury trial in September of next year in Mauney’s death, court records show.

“I want to thank the many law enforcement agencies that were involved for the incredibly hard work they put into it,” Coleman said. “Special thanks to the Idaho State Police, the Nez Perce County Sheriff’s office, the FBI, Ada County and Twin Falls County agencies and Clearwater County Prosecutor Clayne Tyler.”