Inmate called ‘Prison Houdini’ may be freed after 36 years
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A man in prison 36 years for stealing the very mechanic tools his father left him in a will could finally get a chance to go free.
The Florida parole commission on Wednesday will review the case of Mark DeFriest, who was dubbed the “prison Houdini” after a series of escapes that added more and more time to his sentence.
If DeFriest had just been patient and claimed his tools after his father’s will had been executed, he never would have gone to prison. But his original burglary conviction eventually turned into a virtual life sentence after his escapes and other disciplinary issues in prison.
The commission reduced DeFriest’s sentence more than a year ago and now can decide to release him.
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