Judy Hayman: Fugitive Captured 37 Years After Prison Break

Judy Hayman was captured and arrested in San Diego, California, after escaping a Ypsilanti, Michigan, prison in 1977. The 60-year-old woman is now waiting extradition back to Michigan to learn her fate.

In the late 1970s, Hayman was arrested for attempting to shoplift clothing from a Detroit department store. She was ultimately convicted of attempted larceny and sentenced to 18 to 24 months in prison. After serving eight months, Hayman managed to escape the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional facility. Her whereabouts remained unknown for nearly four decades.

Thirty-seven years later Lieutenant Charles Levens, with the Michigan Department of Corrections, decided to look through some old files. On a whim, he requested the fingerprint cards of all prior escaped inmates. Levens sent the cards to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to compare with their current records.

After running the cards, the FBI reported a hit. Judy Hayman’s fingerprints matched a woman who was arrested and fingerprinted in California. San Diego authorities responded to the woman’s last known address. Although she said her name was Jamie Lewis, and produced official documentation with her assumed name, the officers sensed something was wrong.

Kevin Mayer, a lieutenant with the San Diego Police Department, said “her eyes gave her away… the eyes in the picture matched… ”

The woman voluntarily reported to the police station for further questioning. Although she initially denied her true identity, she eventually admitted she was in fact Judy Hayman.

Neighbor Theresa Padilla said Hayman is the mother of three sons “who seemed like they were raised well.” She said the 60-year-old woman is quiet and often keeps to herself. However, the two women became friends as they both have battled cancer.

As reported by ABC News, Padilla was stunned by the arrest:

“It don’t make sense, going after this lady for a petty little thing… They need to go after the molesters, the killers, those who hurt little babies, not someone who stole something when she was 23.”

Russ Martin, with the Michigan Department of Corrections, said that although the original crime was petty, the state “can’t just write it off.” He said they “don’t have the ability to say ‘its been a long time, you’re free to go.'” In addition to the original charge, Hayman is now facing charges related to her escape.

According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Hayman cloaked her identity by using up to eight different aliases.

As Judy Hayman awaits extradition, it is unclear whether she has retained counsel or what charges she will face when she returns to Michigan.