National news was all over the high-intensity search for Richard Matt and David Sweat—two extremely dangerous killers who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility on June 6. So it is no surprise that celebrity bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman joined the search for these fugitives.
While Chapman was not initially involved in the search, he joined it after the US Marshals Service added the men to its top 15 most wanted fugitives. The agency offered a reward of up to $25,000 for help capturing either man. In addition, the New York State Police offered $50,000 for each fugitive or $150,000 for both men.
Chapman told Time Warner Cable News that “People expect me to do something.” However, with more than 1,000 LEOs on the case, Chapman did not want to interfere with their investigation. He focused primarily on gathering information though his website and said that his team was getting two tips an hour.
Noted bounty hunter Chuck Jordan of Western New York was also involved in the search. Jordan is president of the National Association of Fugitive Recovery Agents. He said that he didn’t expect any bounty hunter to try and apprehend the fugitives themselves. Jordan described how “all kinds of things could go wrong” and that there were liability issues in addition to the issue of the men being extremely dangerous.
In the end, the “nightmare” manhunt ended thanks to the efforts of LEOs who had successfully predicted that the men would make a break for the Canadian border. After three weeks of highly intense searching, one man was shot and apprehended while the other was shot and killed.
The official Twitter account for Chapman wrote “Thanks to everyone that sent tips…Everyone is safe.”