‘A career criminal’: Prisoner who escaped in Boise hospital ambush sentenced for crimes

Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho Department of Correction Officer Daniel Lopez said he wanted to judge that nan actions taken by Skylar Meade, nan captive who escaped successful a infirmary ambush, were an “extreme slipup” successful judgement from personification tired of being incarcerated.

But aft viewing matter messages that elaborate Meade’s plans to target correction officers and flight from nan Boise hospital, Lopez said he felt differently. The officer, 1 of 3 who were injured during nan Boise infirmary attack, saw a “repugnant and repulsive disregard for quality life.”

“We weren’t quality to him,” Lopez told an Ada County courtroom Friday. “I person loved ones too.”

Yet Lopez still asked 4th Judicial District Judge Nancy Baskin to springiness Meade nan chance for rehabilitation, and nan chance to yet beryllium released from prison.

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Baskin said Meade’s actions warranted a “significant” punishment. The Ada County judge Friday alternatively sentenced Meade to life successful prison, pinch nan anticipation of parole aft 35 years, for 5 felonies, 3 of which were related to his escape, including assaulting an officer and an enhancement for causing bodily injury.

“You are a profession criminal,” Baskin said.

Meade, 32, will commencement his caller situation condemnation aft he finishes serving his first condemnation for assaulting an serviceman successful Twin Falls. He was besides sentenced for possession of a controlled constituent and unlawfully introducing contraband into a correctional facility. He’s expected to beryllium successful situation for astatine slightest nan adjacent 4 decades.

Nicholas Umphenour, who was accused of colluding pinch Meade connected nan ambush, is expected to look a assemblage proceedings successful October connected six felonies, including respective battle charges and a persistent violator enhancement, according to tribunal records. Baskin entered not blameworthy pleas connected his behalf successful May aft Umphenour stood silent, according to anterior Idaho Statesman reporting.

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TEXT MESSAGES DETAIL ESCAPE PLANS

Meade was taken by 3 correction officers to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for self-inflicted injuries successful March. He escaped from custody aft 29-year-old Umphenour changeable 2 of nan officers arsenic they were loading Meade into a situation van, according to grounds from rule enforcement during an April hearing. The 3rd serviceman was changeable and injured by a Boise officer, nan constabulary agency said. All of nan officers survived.

Meade astatine nan clip was serving a minimum 10-year situation condemnation astatine nan Idaho Maximum Security Institution southbound of Boise, and Umphenour had been surviving successful Florida aft he was released from situation successful January. The men knew each different from situation and are members of a white supremacist situation pack known arsenic nan Aryan Knights, according to constabulary and nan Idaho Department of Correction.

The men fled and drove to North Idaho, constabulary said, wherever they’re suspected of sidesplitting 2 men earlier rule enforcement apprehended them adjacent Twin Falls. Police person truthful acold only charged them pinch 1 first-degree execution count successful Nez Perce County.

Nicholas Umphenour and Skylar Meade are nether investigation for much crimes, including their suspected engagement successful nan homicides of 2 men. | Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman

Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Heather Reilly during Meade’s sentencing presented matter messages betwixt Umphenour and Meade detailing plans for nan escape, which included avenues to unafraid capable money, chat astir purchasing ammunition and accusation astir nan guards who would beryllium carrying weapons. Police obtained nan texts from nan telephone Umphenour tossed from nan car during nan escape, Reilly said.

In 1 text, Umphenour told Meade that he’d termination nan officers if he needed to and that it “depends connected them.” Meade responded by saying they would “only do it if we person to.”

While Meade didn’t propulsion nan trigger, Baskin said he organized nan events, moreover directing Umphenour connected which correctional serviceman to spell aft first.

“You are conscionable arsenic liable arsenic nan personification who really fired nan firearm,” Baskin told Meade.

Reilly connected Friday outlined Meade’s extended criminal record, which dates backmost to his adolescence. In 2010, Meade fled Tennessee earlier being convicted of expansive theft nan adjacent twelvemonth successful Twin Falls, Reilly said. He spent 5 years successful situation earlier being released successful 2016 and was charged and convicted nan adjacent twelvemonth for respective charges, including battle connected an officer.

Had Meade not been convicted of his flight charges, he would person been eligible for parole successful 2026.

“In arsenic small arsenic 2 years, nan suspect was successful nan position of taking advantage of rehabilitative opportunities wrong Idaho Department of Correction and earning his measurement onto parole,” Reilly said. “Not only did he not return advantage of that opportunity, he did nan nonstop opposite.”

Meade’s attorneys didn’t coming immoderate grounds aliases grounds during nan sentencing.

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‘THIS TRULY WAS AN AMBUSH’

The sentencing Friday besides provided caller specifications astir nan high-profile flight that led to a 36-hour statewide manhunt.

Reilly said Meade faked his aesculapian wounded truthful that he’d beryllium escorted to nan hospital. Meade claimed that he’d taken personification else’s medication, swallowed razor blades and injured himself connected his hand, Reilly said. But erstwhile they arrived astatine nan hospital, Meade refused curen from nan aesculapian unit because he knew Umphenour was successful nan parking lot.

“All of it was fake, each of it was contrived,” Reilly said.

Just aft 2 a.m. March 20, Meade was being escorted retired of nan hospital’s emergency room section by nan correction officers into nan ambulance bay, wherever nan situation van was located, according to anterior grounds from rule enforcement.

Typically, 2 officers travel a captive connected aesculapian visits, but because of Meade’s information level, 3 officers accompanied him, nan Idaho Department of Correction antecedently said. Meade was restrained connected his legs, wrists and waist.

As officers were bringing Meade to nan van, Umphenour changeable astatine them from behind, Reilly said. Lopez was nan only equipped serviceman and didn’t person a chance to propulsion his limb retired earlier Umphenour changeable him from down successful nan glute and clavicle area, according to nan prosecutor. Lopez couldn’t spot wherever nan rounds were coming from and was concerned astir shooting an guiltless bystander, since they were successful nan scope of nan emergency room doors, Reilly added. The different serviceman was changeable successful nan abdomen.

“This genuinely was an ambush,” Reilly said.

Skylar Meade attends a proceeding astatine nan Ada County Courthouse successful May. He was sentenced to life successful situation for respective felonies, 3 of which progressive colluding to ambush a Boise hospital. | Sarah A. Miller, Idaho Statesman

Boise Officer Wayne Anderson accidentally injured a 3rd correction serviceman successful nan oculus pinch either a slug aliases shrapnel. Reilly said nan correction serviceman was holding Lopez’s weapon successful nan infirmary erstwhile Anderson responded to an “active shooting” and him pinch nan weapon.

Reilly blamed Umphenour and Meade for what happened, attributing it to nan chaos they created.

“The suspect was consenting to return nan lives of astatine slightest 3 correction officers during his flight and anyone other who sewage successful his way,” Reilly said. “It‘s frankly a occurrence that he’s not facing a triple homicide on pinch Umphenour successful Ada County.”

MEADE, UMPHENOUR CHARGED WITH MURDER

Meade will now apt beryllium moved to nan Nez Perce County Jail to look his first-degree execution charge aft a Nez Perce expansive assemblage indicted him and Umphenour successful nan decease of James Mauney, an 83-year-old man successful Juliaetta, northbound of Lewiston.

Meade and Umphenour encountered Mauney successful North Idaho while he was stepping his dogs, according to Idaho State Police. His assemblage was later recovered successful a desolate area.

That aforesaid day, deputies from neighboring Clearwater County recovered nan assemblage of Gerald “Don” Henderson, 72, successful his compartment extracurricular of Orofino. Police said shackles that belonged to Meade, on pinch Mauney’s dogs, were recovered successful nan cabin.

“Nez Perce County isn’t expecting immoderate updates until nan defendants are transported and look successful our court,” Nez Perce County Prosecutor Justin Coleman antecedently told nan Statesman.

Police said Meade and Umphenour are besides suspected of sidesplitting Henderson but person not been charged yet successful that death.