Chester County prison escape: Latest updates as manhunt widens for Danelo Cavalcante

Jump to content Sign up to our newsletters Subscribe News Sports Voices Culture Lifestyle Travel Premium News World Americas US Crime News Rachel Sharp Tuesday 05 September 2023 17:32 Close Escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante spotted, again The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now widened and local schools have been shuttered after he was spotted on trail camera footage breaking past a police perimeter on Monday night. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison, Pennsylvania , on Thursday days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. During the six-day search for the escaped prisoner, multiple sightings have been reported with law enforcement setting up a two-mile perimeter around a wooded area where he was believed to be holed up. On Monday, officials then broadcast a message from the killer’s mother urging her son to surrender. But, in a morning update on Tuesday, police revealed that Cavalcante had been caught on camera managing to sneak past the perimeter the night before. As a result, police have now expanded the police perimeter and shuttered the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester Count ‘out of abundance of caution’. Members of the public have been urged to secure their homes, outbuildings and vehicles from the dangerous killer. 1693930601 Cavalcante has made it out of the previously established police perimeter, forcing investigators to focus their search on a two-mile radio. Local police said that he had not changed his appearance. Cavalcante is described as a 5ft Brazilian man with light complexion, shaggy, black curly hair and brown eyes. Andrea Blanco 5 September 2023 17:16 1693929011 Pennsylvania State Police confirmed on Tuesday that searches for Cavalcante had been extended to a two-mile radio. Cavalcante was last seen on surveillance video at a train station in East Marlborough Township on Monday. Andrea Blanco 5 September 2023 16:50 1693927824 Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison on Thursday days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão to death. The killer stabbed Brandão to death in Schuylkill Township, back in August 2021, in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old. He is also wanted for a murder in 2017 in Brazil. Prosecutors argued in court that Cavalcante killed Brandão to prevent her from telling American police that he was being sought in Brazil for murder. Andrea Blanco 5 September 2023 16:30 1693926641 Authorities broadcast a surrender message from the killer’s mother into the wooded area where he was believed to be holed up on Monday night. Robert Clark, supervisory deputy US Marshal for the Easter District of Pennsylvania, said at a press conference on Monday afternoon: ‘As desperate as he is, maybe he has a change of thought and hears his mother telling him to surrender, and his family cares about him. ‘Perhaps this is what puts him over the edge where we can get a peaceful surrender.’ While Mr Clark did not confirm the exact wording of his mother’s message – speaking in Portuguese – to Cavalcante but he said that the killer’s mother was urging him to turn himself into authorities. ‘She’s just encouraging that his family loves him, and that she wants him to surrender. And that’s what our hope is as well,’ he said. Rachel Sharp 5 September 2023 16:10 1693926113 Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison shortly before 9am on 31 August. According to the Chester County District Attorney’s office, he was seen walking on Wawaser Road in Popconson Township. Authorities have not elaborated on how Cavalcante was able to escape the prison but said the incident is now under investigation. The escaped murderer was captured on the trail camera at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, at 8.21pm on Monday. He was then spotted coming past the camera again at 9.33pm local time. Andrea Blanco 5 September 2023 16:01 1693925441 Pennsylvania police have shuttered local schools ‘out of abundance of caution’ as the search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante enters its sixth day. In a memo sent to parents, the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County said that schools across the district would be closed on Tuesday as the ‘search situation’ to find the convicted killer has now changed. Dear KCSD Families and Staff, As a result of the escaped prisoner search, the Kennett Consolidated School District will be closed today, Tuesday, September 5. We were informed early this morning by law enforcement that the search situation has evolved and out of an abundance of caution, schools and offices will be closed today. It is important for all members of our community to stay informed about the situation. To receive the most up-to-date information, we strongly encourage you to register for Chester County alerts at www.readychesco.org. This will ensure that you are promptly informed of any developments related to the situation. Please be assured that we are in regular contact with the Pennsylvania State Police, Chester County Emergency Services, and the District Attorney’s office. In the event of any significant updates or changes in the situation, we will communicate with our staff and families to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being. We understand that situations like these can be unsettling. The safety and security of our KCSD community remains our top priority. We are committed to taking all necessary precautions and measures to ensure the safety of our students and staff. Dr. Dusty Blakey Superintendent Rachel Sharp 5 September 2023 15:50 1693924241 In a press conference on Tuesday morning, officials said that Danelo Cavalcante had been caught on a trail camera on Monday night managing to escape the two-mile radius which had been surrounded by law enforcement. The escaped murderer was captured on the trail camera at Longwood Gardens in East Marlborough Township, Chester County, at 8.21pm travelling one direction. He was then spotted coming past the camera again at 9.33pm local time. As a result, police have now shifted and expanded the police parimeter and shuttered nearby schools. Danelo Cavalcante captured on trail camera The images show that Cavalcante has obtained a backpack and a hooded sweatshirt during his escape. Members of the public were urged to secure their homes, outbuildings and vehicles and to contact police if they spot the killer. Rachel Sharp 5 September 2023 15:30 1693923641 Escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante spotted, again Rachel Sharp 5 September 2023 15:20 1693923041 Danelo Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison at around 8.50am on Thursday morning – days after he was sentenced to life without parole for murder. Cavalcante was convicted of stabbing his 33-year-old ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandão to death back in August 2021. The killer attacked Brandão in Schuylkill Township in front of her two children, who were just seven and three years old. He is also wanted for a murder in 2017 in Brazil. Few details have been released about how he was able to escape from the facility. Rachel Sharp 5 September 2023 15:10 1693922745 Pennsylvania police have shuttered local schools ‘out of abundance of caution’ as the search for escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante enters its sixth day. In a memo sent to parents, the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County said that schools across the district would be closed on Tuesday as the ‘search situation’ to find the convicted killer has now changed. Unusual tactics are being deployed to help find murderer Danelo Cavalcante in Pennsylvania Rachel Sharp 5 September 2023 15:05 Pennsylvania prison escape murder Danelo Cavalcante Danelo Cavalcante (left in mug shot and right in trail camera footage) Chester County District Attorney’s Office Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in