Jeffery Allen Manchester

Jeffery Manchester (b. 1972) is an American criminal.

"The Greatest Criminal To Ever Live"

Often referred to as the greatest criminal ever, Jeffery Allen Manchester's story is one of the most interesting criminal accounts in United States HistoryFact|date=February 2007. Pulling off over 60 armed robberies, all with the same MO , Manchester finally slipped up and was finally caught by law enforcement agents in rural North Carolina, USA. After being sentenced to 45 years in a North Carolina prison, Manchester devised an ingenious way to escape from high security prison Brown Creek Correctional Institution by creating an optical illusion, concealing himself under a prison supplies truck. Hitchhiking to Charlotte, Manchester hid inside a Toys-R-Us store for over 2 months before venturing out into an adjacent abandoned building where he created an apartment equip with A/C, electricity, and a complex surveillance system made out of stolen baby monitors. Manchester had been in isolation for over four months and desperately needed companionship. In an attempt to re-start his life, Manchester performed one last robbery on the Toys-R-Us before escaping through his secret door connecting the two buildings. Manchester then watched his surveillance system as police and SWAT cleared and searched the area to no avail. With the money he needed, Manchester now integrated himself into a church community where he became involved with his soon to be girlfriend "Leigh".

His Story

Shortly after midnight, on May 20, 2000, in the small town of Gastonia, North Carolina, employees at the local McDonald's were closing down the restaurant. Manager Bob Johnson was checking the men's bathroom to make sure it was clean, when he noticed that the woman's bathroom door was ajar. Suddenly, the door swung open, and a masked man emerged, armed with a .22 caliber rifle. The gunman was an army reservist named Jeffery Allen Manchester. Earlier, Manchester had cut a hole in the roof of the restaurant, then dropped in through a ceiling tile in the bathroom. Police say Manchester cut off the stock and barrel of the rifle to give it a more menacing appearance.

Manchester pointed the weapon at Bob and told him to keep quiet. He explained that he wanted Bob to calmly walk to the back of the restaurant. As the two men entered the kitchen area, Manchester noticed three other female employees, and ordered them to lie on their stomachs. He then told Bob to open the safe and empty the money into a bag. Once the gunman had all the cash, he told everyone to get into the restaurant's walk-in cooler. Manchester was polite enough to let the workers get their jackets. Once he herded everyone into the cooler, he shut the door and jammed a lemon slicer in the lock before bolting out the back door. Bob and his employees waited until they thought it was safe, then hit a safety button inside the cooler that freed them. Police say Manchester got away with approximately $1,500 dollars.

Instead of making his getaway, Manchester drove to the neighboring town of Belmont. He had another robbery to pull off. Manchester turned into an empty church parking lot and killed his engine. This seemed like the perfect spot to hide his car. He grabbed his bag of tools and walked through nearby wooded area. When Manchester emerged on the other side of the woods, he could see his next target: another McDonald's.

The bandit climbed onto the roof of the building and went to work. He used a razor knife to cut the initial hole in the asphalt. Next, Manchester used a power drill to rip through a layer of plywood. Police believe it took Manchester about 40 minutes to cut a hole that was big enough for him to fit through. He then dropped down into the restaurant and hid in the men's bathroom. Manchester had to wait till the morning employees came for work.

Around 5:00 a.m., a five person crew arrived at the McDonald's and prepared to open the restaurant for the breakfast rush. Once Manchester felt like the employees were busy in their daily routine, he came out of the bathroom. Like the previous robbery, Manchester forced the manager to open the safe and ordered everyone else to get on the floor. Once the armed invader had all the money, he once again herded the employees into the cooler. Manchester then slipped out the back door. This robbery was more profitable than the earlier job. Police say Manchester got way with approximately $6,500. Shortly after Manchester took off, one of the McDonald's employees hit a panic alarm. While the armed robber was heading through the woods to his getaway car, the cops were racing to the McDonald's.

One Belmont police officer was setting up a perimeter around the general scene when he spotted Manchester's car in the church parking lot. The officer thought it was out of the ordinary for a vehicle to be parked there at this time of the morning. As he was pulling in to get a closer look, he saw a man dressed in dark clothing exiting the woods. He was headed toward the car. When Manchester spotted the officer he turned around and booked back into the woods. Officers converged on the scene. A short time later, they found Manchester, hiding in some thick weeds.

During his interview with police, Manchester admitted to robbing both of the restaurants. Detectives say Manchester told them that he got the idea to cut a hole in the roof after reading about a robber known as "the roofman." The roofman had robbed more than 60 business, mostly McDonalds, across 9 states. A task force was set up in California to track down the elusive bandit. Investigators believe that Manchester was the roofman, but he was never charged with any of the robberies.

In November 2000, Manchester was convicted for the two McDonald's robberies in North Carolina. He was given a sentence ranging from 32 to 45 years. Manchester bounced around the prison system before winding up at the Brown Creek Correctional Institution in Polkton, North Carolina earlier this year.

Police believe that Manchester began plotting his escape the first day he showed up at Brown Creek. If Manchester could pull it off, he would make history. The medium security prison was built in 1992, and no one had ever escaped from it before. Shortly after his arrival, Manchester got himself a job in the prison's metal plant. Police say that gave him close access to the prison's delivery trucks. While working in the plant, prison officials say he cut down a piece of three-quarter inch plywood and wedged it between the frame rails on the bottom of a delivery truck.

Police say Manchester perfected his plan for weeks. Police say he also crafted a piece of cardboard, painted it black, and attached magnets to it. Once he put the cardboard in place behind the truck, it made him virtually invisiable to the guards who check the vehicles.

On June 15, 2004, Manchester put his plan into action. After finishing work at the metal plant, Manchester and a group of inmates were escorted back to prison yard. Police say Manchester somehow slipped out of line unnoticed and made his way back to the delivery truck. Police believe he already had his supplies stashed in place under the vehicle. Manchester climbed onto the plywood he'd crafted and waited. Around 3:30 p.m., the delivery truck left Brown Creek, with Manchester riding underneath. Manchester hoped the truck would take him far from the prison, but the vehicle wasn't making a long distance delivery. The truck ended up parking just beyond the prison walls at an administrative building. Police say Manchester climbed out from underneath the truck and took off on foot. The prison performed a head count at 4:00 p.m. and noticed Manchester was missing, but by that time it was too late. Police say Manchester hitched a ride to Charlotte, North Carolina later that day and would not be seen for 7 months

The Capture

Jeffery Manchester was arrested January 5, 2005 in Charlotte after police learned that the elusive burglar was hiding out in their area. Manchester's high profile antics earned him a profile on Fox Television's America's Most Wanted. However, his arrest is the result of excellent police work.

On November 26th, the Toys-R-Us store in Charlotte was robbed by an armed gunman. As the police investigated the crime they discovered a secret door leading from the Toys-R-Us to the vacant Circuit City store next door. When they searched the vacant building they discovered thousands of dollars of toys hidden above the ceiling tiles. They also found surveillance equipment stashed in the walls between Circuit CIty and Toys-R-Us, allowing someone to spy on Toys-R-Us employees at all times. And then police hit the jackpot. They found yet another secret door to a hidden room built under a staircase in the Circuit City. The tiny room had all the comforts of home: a rocking chair, bedding, a dresser, posters and toys, movies and video games, a bicycle and weights -- almost all of it stolen from the Toys-R-Us. And the room was even painted, inside and out, to conceal it from anyone passing by. Investigators found the paint can, allowing lab technicians to pull off a fingerprint. Once they checked the fingerprint they learned it belonged to Jeffery Manchester.

Officers began handing out fliers with Manchester's picture because they believed he may still be in the area. On Tuesday, January 4, 2005 Manchester's photo was all over the Charlotte evening news, alerting residents that an escaped convict may be living in the area. The next morning a tipster walked into the police station and revealed that Manchester was attending the Crossroads Presbyterian Church and was going by the name "John Zorn."

It was the tip police needed because they feared that Manchester may have been getting more dangerous. Earlier that Wednesday morning there was a fire at a local dentist office. Investigators suspected it was arson and when they showed employees Manchester's photo they said he had been a patient there. Police believe he was trying to destroy his records.

Police quickly discovered that Manchester had been dating a woman named Leigh at the Crossroads Presbyterian Church. Detectives went to Leigh's workplace and showed her the wanted poster with Manchester's photo. Her reaction was pure shock. Not until Leigh saw the America's Most Wanted website was she convinced that the man she was dating was really an escaped convict. Leigh then agreed to help police capture Manchester.

It just so happened that Manchester was supposed to pick up Leigh that evening to take her out to dinner for her birthday. It was the perfect opportunity that police needed. The SWAT team was assembled and a stakeout was set up. "John" arrived at the apartment with a bouquet of flowers and the SWAT team sprang into action. Manchester was arrested without incident. Charlotte-Mechlenburg Police say Jeffery Manchester is one of the most cunning and challenging fugitives they have ever captured.

After Manchester's arrest, police gave him the opportunity to call and apologize to Leigh. Leigh, Pastor Ron Smith and the Crossroads Presbyterian congregation say Manchester became a beloved member of their church due to his generosity and active involvement. Beginning in October 2004, he attended weekly bible study, participated in holiday toy drives, and even dressed up like the Easter Bunny for their annual Christmas party. While church members disapprove of his crimes and deception, they are supporting Manchester since his arrest.

References

* [http://mcsoweb2k.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/inmatesearch/inmate_summary.asp Manchester's Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arrest Inquiry]
* [http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/apps/offender/offend1?DOCNUM=0706365&SENTENCEINFO=yes&SHOWPHOTO=yes&numtimesin=2 North Carolina Department of Correction Record]
* [http://www.amw.com/fugitives/profile.cfm?id=27900 Manchester on America's Most Wanted]