Boise, Idaho – Two escaped convicts, Skylar Meade and Nicholas Umphenour, are now under scrutiny for the deaths of two individuals while on the lam, authorities announced on Thursday. Meade and Umphenour were apprehended following an ambush and shooting at a hospital that wounded three officers, according to Boise police.
Boise Police Department Chief Ron Winegar disclosed that the pair are suspected of being involved in two homicides in northern Idaho, where the bodies of two men were discovered in a rural area. Handcuffs used by Meade during his escape were also recovered at the crime scene.
During a press conference, Winegar mentioned that the duo’s escape vehicle was found in northern Idaho, adding that they departed the area in a different car. The motive behind their actions remains unclear, with Winegar stating, “The motive and why they did what they did, I don’t know.”
Meade managed to flee from the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center shortly before two state corrections officers were about to transport him back to prison. Umphenour opened fire outside the emergency room in the early hours of Wednesday, as reported by the Boise Police Department.
Skylar Meade, a convicted felon, had evaded a 20-year prison term for assault or battery with a deadly weapon enhancement stemming from a 2017 shooting incident. Authorities disclosed that Meade, described as a white supremacist gang member, had prior convictions for various offenses.
Nicholas Umphenour, identified as Meade’s accomplice and associate by detectives, had not had his age or local criminal background disclosed by the police. The investigation into the escaped convicts and their alleged involvement in the dual homicides continues in Idaho.