James L. Mauney : Idaho Inmate & Accomplice Court Appearance

Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. Idaho inmate escape accomplice
2. Hospital ambush court hearing

Two members of an Idaho white supremacist prison gang, including an inmate and the man accused of helping him escape in an armed ambush at a Boise hospital, are due in court for a preliminary hearing Monday, along with a woman accused of providing a vehicle they used during 36 hours on the run. The inmate, Skylar Meade, and Nicholas Umphenour, who police say opened fire on corrections officers transporting Meade from the hospital last month, both have been charged in the escape, along with Tia Garcia, who is accused of falsely reporting her car stolen just after the attack.

Idaho White Supremacist Prison Gang Members Due in Court for Preliminary Hearing

Two members of an Idaho white supremacist prison gang, including an inmate and the man accused of helping him escape in an armed ambush at a Boise hospital, are set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Monday. Along with them, a woman accused of providing a vehicle they used during their 36-hour escape will also be facing charges.

Suspects Charged in Escape and Related Crimes

The inmate, Skylar Meade, and Nicholas Umphenour, who police say opened fire on corrections officers transporting Meade from the hospital last month, have been charged in the escape. Additionally, Umphenour faces three counts of aggravated battery on an officer and using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony, charges stemming from the ambush.

Suspects Linked to Homicides in Clearwater and Nez Perce Counties

Meade and Umphenour, who are each being held on $2 million bail, are also suspected in the deaths of two men in Clearwater and Nez Perce counties. The victims have been identified as James L. Mauney, 83, of Juliaetta, Idaho, and Gerald Don Henderson, 72, who was found dead outside his remote cabin near Orofino, Idaho.

Connection to Aryan Knights White Supremacist Prison Gang

Idaho Department of Correction officials have revealed that Meade and Umphenour are members of the Aryan Knights white supremacist prison gang. Federal prosecutors have described the gang as a “scourge” in the state’s penitentiary system.

Past Criminal Histories of the Suspects

Meade, 31, was serving 20 years at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, south of Boise, for shooting at a sheriff’s sergeant during a chase. Umphenour was released from the same lockup in January after serving time for theft and gun convictions.

Details of the Escape and Violent Encounter

The attack on the corrections officers took place just after 2 a.m. on March 20 in the ambulance bay of Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Two corrections officers were wounded in the attack, and a third was shot by responding police officers who mistook him for the gunman. Fortunately, all are expected to recover.

Additional Charges in Connection with the Escape

Another individual, Tonia Huber, has been charged in connection with the escape. She was driving the truck Meade was in when he was arrested. Huber faces charges of harboring a fugitive, eluding police, and drug possession.

Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.