US Marshals capture escaped teenage murder suspect in Philadelphia

Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on January 29, 2024

(PHILADELPHIA) — A teenage murder suspect who escaped from a hospital Wednesday has been captured, the Philadelphia Police Department confirmed Sunday.

Shane Pryor, 17, who was in custody for a 2020 fatal shooting and who had escaped from the Juvenile Justice Services Center staff at a hospital on Wednesday, was taken into custody “without incident” by the U.S. Marshals Service, authorities said. He was being taken to the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit, police said.

No further information is available, authorities said.

At a news conference Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Investigations Frank Vanore said Pryor escaped from the emergency room parking lot of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia shortly before noon on Wednesday after he was transported there from the Juvenile Justice Services Center for an apparent hand injury.

“He was able to escape from staff and run from this area on foot,” Vanore said.

According to court documents, Pryor was being held on murder charges for the October 2020 shooting of Tanya Harris. He was 14 years old at the time of the alleged shooting, which occurred in an alleyway in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia. In December 2023, the courts decided to try Pryor as an adult.

At the time of his arrest, Pryor told police he solicited the victim for sex but that the woman was shot by another man, according to court documents.

Pryor’s defense attorney, Paul DiMaio, said his client “has always maintained his innocence,” and pointed to the December 2023 court decision as a motive for his escape. “He may have felt he wasn’t going to get a fair shake,” DiMaio told WPVI.

On Friday, police arrested the alleged accomplice of Pryor — 18-year-old Michael Diggs.

Diggs was Pryor’s alleged getaway driver, police said. Diggs was detained several hours after the escape and now faces multiple felony charges, authorities said Friday.

Following his escape from custody, Pryor was observed on surveillance footage entering a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia building, where he asked an employee to use her cellphone but was denied, Clark said. He left and was able to use a civilian’s phone to allegedly call his “associate,” Diggs, according to U.S. Marshals Deputy Rob Clark.

Diggs arrived around 12:30 p.m. and allegedly picked up Pryor in a cream-colored Ford Fusion and left the University City neighborhood, Clark said.

Diggs has since been charged with hindering apprehension, escape, use of communication facility and criminal conspiracy in connection with Pryor’s escape, police announced on Friday. Attorney information for Diggs wasn’t immediately available.

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso, Chris Donato and Leah Sarnoff contributed to this report.