An individual named Skylar Meade, an escaped prisoner, was arraigned in Nez Perce County for his involvement in the shooting death of James Mauney while on the run for 36 hours. The prosecutors have expressed their intention to pursue the death penalty if Meade, 32, is found guilty of the murder charge. During the arraignment, Meade’s defense attorney, Anne Taylor, indicated that the defendant would remain silent when asked about entering a plea. As per the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, declining to enter a plea is a protected right, leading the judge to enter a not guilty plea on Meade’s behalf as per Idaho court rules.
Meade had previously been sentenced to life in prison for a separate case related to his escape from a Boise hospital in March. He had been taken to the hospital by prison officials for self-inflicted injuries. On the day of the escape, as officers were preparing to return Meade to prison around 2 a.m., an accomplice outside the hospital initiated gunfire. Two correctional officers were shot by the accomplice, and a third was mistakenly shot by a police officer who identified him as the shooter. Fortunately, all three officers survived the incident.
After fleeing the scene, Meade and his accomplice drove to north-central Idaho. Around the same time, Mauney, an 83-year-old resident, went missing while walking his dogs on a local trail and was later found dead miles away. Subsequently, the two men headed back to southern Idaho and were eventually apprehended in Twin Falls.
