On August 31, 2023, convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison in Pennsylvania. Earlier in the month, he was sentenced to life without parole for murdering his former girlfriend Deborah Brandão. He stabbed her 38 times in front of her kids.
Cavalcante escaped in a similar manner as another inmate who freed himself in May. Igor Bolte was captured within minutes unlike Cavalcante, who is still missing. On September 9, Cavalcante stole a 2020 Ford Transit van and is now believed to be in the Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, area.
Howard Holland, the acting warden of Chester County Prison, explained how Cavalcante first escaped. Around 8:30 a.m. on August 31 he entered the exterior exercise yard. Cavalcante’s exit was calculated and executed by “having crab walked up a wall, pushed his way through razor wire, run across the roof, scale another fence and push his way through more razor wire." No one realized he was missing until 9:45 a.m. when the prisoners returned from outside and a headcount was taken.
Howard did stress that improvements were made to the institution after Bolte’s escape attempt. It was clearly not adequate enough. He promised additional improvements would be made.
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Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens gave an update on September 10 about the ongoing search. Cavalcante is reportedly reaching out to acquaintances for help. He was spotted on a Ring camera in East Pikeland Township and tried to contact a friend in Phoenixville.
“He is absolutely looking for support,” Bivens stated. “He needs that support. He doesn’t have it.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women's shelter domesticshelters.org.
