A convicted killer's escape from a Pennsylvania jail last year has resulted in the loss of his right to appeal his original life sentence, as ruled by a state court on Wednesday. The convict, Danilo Cavalcante, had escaped from a Chester County lockup while awaiting transfer to state prison to serve a life sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
Cavalcante's escape involved climbing up between two walls in a jail exercise yard, navigating razor wire, and jumping from a roof. Following a two-week manhunt that garnered national attention, he was recaptured.
During his time as a fugitive, Cavalcante's attorneys filed a motion challenging the evidence and certain aspects of his sentence in the murder case. However, the Pennsylvania Superior Court deemed the motion legally invalid, citing that fugitives in Pennsylvania forfeit certain rights while on the run. This ruling impacted the deadline for Cavalcante's attorneys to appeal his life-without-parole sentence.
Had the motion been valid, it would have extended the appeal deadline. Instead, the original deadline stood, leading to Cavalcante's subsequent appeal being filed eight days past the cutoff, according to the court's decision.
In August, Cavalcante pleaded guilty to escape and received an additional sentence of 15 to 30 years, on top of his existing life sentence without the possibility of parole.
