Body Found in Harrowgate Warehouse Identified as Escaped Prisoner Gino Hagenkotter

A body discovered in a warehouse in Harrowgate on Monday has been confirmed as that of 34-year-old Gino Hagenkotter, who had escaped from a prison in Philadelphia at the end of last month, according to authorities on Tuesday.

The incident occurred just before 2:30 p.m. on Monday when the police responded to a report of an unresponsive male found in a warehouse located on the 1100 block of East Venango Street. Medics pronounced the unidentified man dead at the scene, as stated by the police.

Evidence found at the crime scene indicated that the warehouse had been broken into. The police discovered a broken air vent, a pushed-out fan, and a nearby ladder. Since the man had no identification on him, he was initially classified as a John Doe.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office successfully identified the deceased as Hagenkotter through fingerprint analysis, with the U.S. Marshals Service notifying his family about the tragic news, as per the police.

As of Tuesday, the cause of Hagenkotter’s death remains under investigation, according to the police.

Hagenkotter, who was serving a sentence at Riverside Correctional Facility for theft and drug-related charges, managed to escape on November 30 while performing supervised work in the orchard situated behind the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Complex in the Northeast. Prison officials stated that he had requested permission from his supervising guard to use the restroom, but instead, he scaled the jail’s fence and fled through the neighboring sanitation plant.

Around 15 minutes later, when the guard became suspicious of Hagenkotter’s extended absence, he went to check the bathroom only to find it empty. The guard immediately reported the inmate’s absence to prison authorities. However, by that time, Hagenkotter had already discarded his jumpsuit and was seen walking towards Torresdale Avenue.

Following his escape, Hagenkotter remained at large for several days without any reported sightings, according to Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark.

Over the past eight years, Hagenkotter has been in and out of jail on multiple occasions due to theft and drug possession charges in Philadelphia and Bucks County. He was most recently incarcerated since June for violating his probation related to a burglary conviction in 2019. In that case, records indicate that he broke into an apartment building where he had been employed and stole a tenant’s road bike.

» READ MORE: Escaped Prisoner Gino Hagenkotter’s Criminal History Includes Drug and Theft Charges

In mid-November, a judge ordered Hagenkotter’s transfer to a drug treatment facility to serve the rest of his sentence. The transfer was scheduled for November 30. However, the transfer was canceled after officials discovered an open retail theft case in Bucks County, requiring Hagenkotter to remain in jail until April 2024.

Blanche Carney, the Commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Prisons, believes that the cancellation of Hagenkotter’s transfer “played a part in his decision to escape.”

Hagenkotter became the fourth inmate to escape from a Philadelphia jail facility this year. In May, Ameen Hurst, 18, and Nasir Grant, 24, managed to break out of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center; however, they were apprehended within a week. In September, a 30-year-old woman briefly escaped from the same facility. Although she successfully jumped over the fence, guards immediately captured her on the other side.