Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- A man who escaped from prison more than 20 years ago is a step closer to returning to Utah.
Lyndal Ritterbush, 62, pleaded guilty in Oregon yesterday to identity theft. Ritterbush took his brother-in-law's identity after fleeing a Utah prison in 1985.
Judge Joseph Ochoa sentenced Ritterbush to six months in Marion County Jail. But Utah officials can come get him at any time because he has waived extradition.
A Utah court convicted Ritterbush of incest in 1983 and he was paroled about a year later. Months after his release, Ritterbush returned to prison on a conviction of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
Following his escape, Ritterbush spent most of his time in Oregon under an assumed name. He was found on November first after his brother-in-law reported that his name had been used to obtain credit cards.
Utah prison officials say they will start the process to return Ritterbush this week.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
