Sunday, June 14, 1998
Inmate escapes from Crawford County jail
By Michael Culp
Staff Writer
BUCYRUS &emdash; Authorities continued their manhunt late Saturday for an accused murderer who escaped from the Crawford County jail by scaling a 15-foot high fence.
Robert L. Martin, 18, of Crestline, was in the jail's recreation yard when he escaped Saturday afternoon, cutting his arm on razor-wire on top of the fence, said sheriff's dispatcher, Erica Walsh.
Martin was spotted several times in Bucyrus, where, in the afternoon, he was spotted in A.J.'s Bar in Bucyrus, but had left before authorities arrived. And one person reportedly saw him getting into the backseat of a car headed east on US 30 toward Crestline, officials said.
Throughout the day, authorities tracked Martin with police dogs and helicopters, Walsh said. Crawford County's sheriff department was aided in their pursuit of Martin by sheriff's offices from Wyandot and Marion counties and police units from Bucyrus, Marion and Mansfield.
Martin, who was being held without bail, was charged May 16 with aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated arson, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
The 18-year-old is accused of shooting 81-year-old Raymond Campbell and then setting fire to Campbell's Crawford County residence.
Martin pleaded not guilty to the charges and his case is scheduled for trial August 11.
Also arrested in the shooting was 16-year-old William Noggle Jr., who was charged with the same crimes as Martin. He also is awaiting trial.
Martin is described as white, six-feet and about 160 pounds. When last spotted, he was wearing a dark shirt and tan shorts. Authorities believe that Martin's arm is bandaged.