U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force
Captures Jail Escapee

Richard Scott Hutcheson, 27, of Panama City, Florida was wanted by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office on warrants for Escape and Resisting Arrest without Violence which stemmed from his alleged May 24th escape from the Liberty County Jail. The U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force adopted the case on June 18, 2007 at the request of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.

Numerous leads were investigated in the case in multiple counties including Leon, Gadsden, Liberty, and finally Bay County Florida. In the early morning hours of June 22, 2007 Task Force members traveled to Panama City, FL and followed several leads around both Panama City and Panama City Beach areas. The investigation eventually led to the belief that Richard Scott Hutcheson had checked into the Howard Hotel located at 4911 East 15th Street in Panama City. U.S. Marshals task force members along with members of the Panama City Police Department and Bay County Sheriff’s Office made contact with Room 125 of the Howard Motel and took Hutcheson into custody. Also found in the hotel room was a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Hutcheson was booked into the Bay County Jail to await extradition back to Liberty County.

The United States Marshals Service spearheads the task force which is comprised of law enforcement officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office.