40 Year Old Convicted Murderer Michael David Elliot Escapes Ionia Prison, Abducts Woman at Knife Point (Update: Woman Escapes at Gas Station) (Update: Michael David Elliot Captured in LaPorte County, Indiana)

BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR ESCAPED CONVICTED MURDERER MICHAEL ELLIOT …

40 year old convicted murderer, Michael David Elliot, was discovered missing about 9:30 p.m. Sunday from the Ionia Correctional Facility in Michigan according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Authorities say Elliot may be driving a 2004 red Jeep Liberty with license plate 5FTG55. Elliot was serving 5 life sentence for multiple first-degree murder convictions stemming from four 1993 killings.

Investigators told Fox 17 News that following his escape, Elliot abducted a woman using a knife or box cutter and made her drive to Elkhart, Ind., roughly 100 miles southwest of Ionia near the Indiana-Michigan state line.

The woman escaped when they stopped at a gas station, and she called police, Marlan said. He provided no information about the condition or identity of the woman, nor if she had any previous connection to Elliot.

Description:

Elliot is a white male, 5’8″ tall and 165 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He does not have any tattoos or scars. He also goes by the names Michael Delarosa and Michael Shreader.

Police believe that Elliot is driving a 2004 red Jeep Liberty with license plate 5FTG55. The vehicle also has Bugs Bunny and Tasmanian Devil decals.

UPDATE IL: Detroit Free Press –

A man serving life behind bars for murder in four 1993 deaths in Michigan has escaped from prison and apparently abducted a woman before she got away in Indiana, authorities said Monday.

Michael David Elliot, 40, was discovered missing about 9:30 p.m. Sunday from the Ionia Correctional Facility in mid-Michigan, Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman Russ Marlan said in an email.

Elliot may have abducted a woman from Ionia using a knife or box cutter and drove to Elkhart, Ind., roughly 100 miles southwest of Ionia and near the Indiana-Michigan state line, where they stopped for gas. The woman got away at the gas station and call police, Marlan said.

Police made contact with the woman about 11:50 p.m. Sunday. Elliot left the gas station and was at large Monday morning, Marlan said.

“Citizens should immediately call 911 if they observe anything suspicious or possibly become aware of the whereabouts of … Elliot,” Marlan said in the email.

UPDATE II: Murderer escapes prison and abducts woman, last seen in Elkhart Co.

A manhunt is happening right now for a man convicted of killing four people. He escaped from a Michigan prison last night and abducted a woman who eventually got away at a Middlebury gas station.

Elliot is serving a life term for killing four people. He was convicted in the August 1993 murders of Vickie Currie, her boyfriend Michael Tufnell, his brother Bruce Tufnell and Kathy Lane. According to court documents, Elliot and three others planned to steal drug money. When they didn’t find the money, Elliot and another man killed the four and set Tufnell’s house on fire.

Photo – LaGrange County Police

UPDATE III: Here is a full news release from the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Office:

A man convicted of four 1993 murders has escaped from the Ionia, Michigan Correctional Facility. Michael David Elliot, age 40, 5’8”, 165 lb white male with brown hair and brown eyes wearing a blue and orange state prison uniform escaped Sunday night.

Elliot forced his way into a Red 2004 Jeep Liberty with Michigan License Plate “5FTG55” sitting outside a residence on in Ionia, MI being driven by a female at approximately 8:00 pm. Mr. Elliot was armed with a hammer and a box cutter knife and threatened to cut the female.

They traveled into the Middlebury, IN area where they stopped at a Gallop’s gas station on State Rd 13 to get fuel. The female who had a cell phone hidden from Elliot, called 911 while he was pumping gas and the call was received by LaGrange County 911 Dispatchers. Dispatchers quickly asked the female to go inside the gas station to get away from the suspect. When the caller got inside the dispatcher asked her to lock herself in the restroom and not leave.

At one point Michael Elliot knocked on the restroom door and told the female that it was time to go. 911 Dispatchers were able to locate the gas station they were at using GPS from the cell phone along with the description that the caller was able to give. The other LaGrange County Dispatcher contacted Elkhart County right away to have officers en route.

The Dispatcher kept the victim on the phone until officers arrived while her partner kept Elkhart County informed. 911 Dispatcher’s while on the phone with the victim were able to locate the news on the escapee from Ionia, MI.

The victim advised the Dispatcher that Michael Elliot had put on a pair of the victim’s black cargo pants and also had a jacket on. Elliot had short hair and facial hair. Elliot advised the female that he was in prison for 4 counts of murder.

The female stated that Michael Elliot had the keys to her Red Jeep Liberty and he stated that he wanted to get far away from Ionia, MI. The stop in Middlebury was their first stop since they left Ionia, MI.

Once officers arrived on scene, 911 Dispatcher’s confirmed this through Elkhart County before the female opened the door. Once this was confirmed, the female opened the door to find the police officers on scene and her Jeep Liberty was gone.

Michael Elliot was last seen on State Rd 13 just south of the Michigan State line.

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If located, please do not approach, contact 911 immediately. Michael Elliot should be considered armed and dangerous. Again, he was in prison for the murder of four people.

UPDATE IV: Woman’s Jeep Liberty in a residential area of the town of Shipshewana, about 20 miles east of Elkhart.

UPDATE IV: Michigan prison escapee captured in Indiana.

Michael David  Elliot was arrested and taken to the LaPorte County Jail.