HARRISBURG, Pa. — A state court announced on Wednesday that a convicted murderer has forfeited his right to appeal a life sentence due to his escape from jail last year.
Danilo Cavalcante, who was awaiting transfer to state prison after being sentenced for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, fled from a Chester County correctional facility. He executed his escape by maneuvering between walls in the exercise area, scaling razor wire, and eventually jumping down from the roof. Following a dramatic two-week manhunt that garnered widespread media attention, authorities captured Cavalcante.
While he was evading capture, his legal team attempted to file a motion contesting the evidence and certain elements of the original murder sentence.
However, this motion was deemed legally invalid because, according to Pennsylvania law, fugitives lose their rights to appeal while they are on the run. This ruling had implications for the timeline in which Cavalcante’s attorneys could challenge his sentence of life without the possibility of parole for the murder charge.
If the appeal motion had been acknowledged as valid, it would have extended the deadline for filing an appeal. Consequently, because the initial deadline remained unchanged, Cavalcante’s appeal was submitted eight days late, leading to the court’s decision.
Subsequently in August, Cavalcante took a plea deal for the escape charges and received an additional sentence of 15 to 30 years, which will be served alongside his existing life sentence without the possibility of parole.