After nine days on the run, escaped inmate Michael Burham was snagged back into custody, thanks to a family’s friendly dog who alerted them to a stranger hiding near their backyard.
According to Wibv4News, homeowners Ron and Cynthia Ecklund notified authorities on Saturday and told them about the suspect their Labrador retriever, Tucker at been barking at near their backyard.
Our dog was laying out in the sun, and suddenly he jumped up and started to bark and ran toward our creek.
News report
As the couple called for Tucker to come back, the dog seemed to have been ignoring them; Cynthia thought he had been either chasing animals near the creek or greeting a passerby. Tucker always liked to greet strangers, but after meeting them and perhaps earning a friendly scratch, he would rush back when called. This time Tucker ignored his family.
Mildly alarmed, the couple rode out to the area in their golf cart and spotted Burham wearing the orange prison uniform. They immediately recognized him and called authorities.
Burham, who appeared very tired and “worn out”, was taken into custody. He is being held on 26 counts relating to arson, kidnapping and burglary. In addition he is also under investigation for raping and killing the mother of his child.
And now as for Tucker, the canine hero received a “juicy steak” for tracking down the inmate and alerting his owners.
Is there any question that humans just don’t deserve dogs?
Tucker is a hero!
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