McNair's violent start: Burglary and murder in 1987

In November 1987, Richard Lee McNair committed a brutal burglary in North Dakota that culminated in a fatal shooting and murder. This act of violence sent the 28-year-old former Air Force sergeant from Oklahoma to prison, but it also marked the beginning of a notorious career. McNair would become known as one of America's most cunning escape artists, famous for his spectacular prison breaks.

It all began on a cold evening when McNair snuck into the crime scene: the Farmers Union grain elevator outside Minot, intending to steal cash. When the grain elevator's night worker, Richard Kitzman, unexpectedly returned to his office, McNair fired five shots. Kitzman was seriously injured but miraculously survived. However, on his escape route, McNair encountered truck driver Jerome Theis, 42. With a single, cold-blooded murder – a shot between the eyes – McNair killed Theis, a crime that later earned him a life sentence.

First escape: McNair's leap from third floor in 1988

But Richard Lee McNair was far from finished making headlines. As early as February 1988, just three months after his arrest and during an interrogation at the Minot police station, he cemented his reputation as a true escape artist. While three detectives briefly left the room, McNair managed to use a tube of Blistex lip balm as a lubricant to wriggle free from his handcuffs. His first daring escape involved jumping from a third-floor window – a fall that broke his back but did not stop his will to be free.

Ventilation system escape: North Dakota prison 1992

After his conviction and incarceration in the North Dakota State Penitentiary in 1988, McNair's imprisonment began, but he spent the following years methodically planning his next escape. On October 9, 1992, he, along with two fellow inmates, managed to escape by crawling through the prison's ventilation system. This meticulously devised escape plan took 11 months to prepare. Once free again, McNair drastically changed his appearance, grew long, blond hair, and used several false identities. During his journey through six US states, he posed, among other things, as a journalist.

Mail-sack escape: McNair flees Pollock prison in 2006

His most spectacular and arguably most notorious escape, however, took place in April 2006. This time, from the federal prison United States Penitentiary, Pollock, in Louisiana. Here, Richard Lee McNair worked repairing mailbags and spent months constructing an ingenious 'escape pod' from wire mesh and tarpaulin. He cleverly hid this under a pile of repaired mailbags. On the morning of April 5, at 9:45 a.m., the pallet carrying the hidden McNair was transported out of the prison grounds by a forklift. His calculated mail-sack escape gave him, according to his calculations, several hours' head start before his absence would be discovered.

McNair as 'Robert Jones' tricks Officer Bordelon 2006

The most nerve-wracking moment during this incredible escape from Louisiana occurred just a few hours later, at 11:23 a.m. that same morning. Police officer Carl Bordelon stopped a jogging Richard Lee McNair near a railway track in Ball, Louisiana. The entire surreal confrontation was captured on the officer's dashcam. With complete composure, McNair introduced himself as 'Robert Jones,' a handyman supposedly working on the Katrina reconstruction efforts. Although Bordelon noted some resemblance to the escaped prisoner's description, he let McNair go – an embarrassing mistake that later became nationally known via the dashcam footage.

On the run in Canada: Arrest and McNair's quote 2007

This time, Richard Lee McNair's escape lasted a full 18 months. He crossed the border into Canada and lived a nomadic life as a fugitive. Along the way, he stole cars, forged ID cards using computers in public libraries, and survived the harsh Canadian winter by stealing camping gear from remote cabins. His self-confidence, or perhaps arrogance, culminated in October 2007 in Miramichi, New Brunswick. There, he was stopped during a routine check in a stolen van. McNair once again tried to bluff his way out of the situation with the Canadian RCMP officers, but this time his ruse was seen through by young officer Stephane Gagnon. During the arrest, McNair grinned and ironically remarked, 'You've caught a big fish,' a quote that quickly spread through Canadian news broadcasts, underscoring the case's high-profile status.

Final stop: McNair's philosophy and victims' trauma

Following his extradition to the USA in November 2007, Richard Lee McNair was incarcerated in ADX Florence in Colorado – also known as the 'Alcatraz of the Rockies' – considered America's most secure prison. His new confinement here seemed final. But even behind these walls, McNair continued his psychological battle. In letters to journalist Byron Christopher, he detailed his personal 'escape philosophy,' a testament to his cunning mind. For the victims of that fateful night in 1987, however, the wounds are far from healed. Richard Kitzman, who survived the brutal shooting, stated during a visit to the crime scene in 2007: 'I still see the muzzle of the revolver every time I close my eyes.' Richard Lee McNair's incredible ability to repeatedly elude the justice system has secured him a notorious place in criminal history, but the memories of his violent crimes and the fear he spread continue to cast long shadows.

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