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 Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information.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.
(Tuscaloosa, Alabama-AP) -- An escaped mental patient who was accused of murdering his stepfather and dismembering the body is now in police custody after surrendering in Salt Lake City.
Officials say 34-year-old Michael Douglas Hart turned himself in Friday because he feared for his life.
Hart escaped from Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa on March 26th.
The F-B-I says Hart had been in the Salt Lake area for about a month. Officials say Hart called the F-B-I office there saying he wanted to surrender because he saw on television Thursday that he was wanted.
Hart was questioned, arrested and taken to the Salt Lake City Jail.
Hart was wearing a suit and tie and was well kept, but officials didn't know where he had been staying or how he got to Salt Lake.
The Huntsville resident will be transferred to Alabama in the next few days where he faces three arrest warrants, including one for third-degree escape.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
