In 1994, he escaped from Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center in New York alongside another convicted killer, John Casablanca. During the escape, the pair reportedly took a hospital employee hostage before releasing him unharmed. Authorities warned the public that both men were dangerous, and the manhunt ended about a week later when they were captured in Brooklyn.

That escape seems to be the last major public moment in Arnold’s known story. After his recapture, he appears to have returned to institutional custody, but there does not seem to be a widely available, well-documented account of his final years, death, or current status. That makes his “end” less dramatic than some cases, but also more unsettling. Instead of a clear ending, Arnold’s story seems to disappear behind the walls of the criminal justice and mental health systems.

He was clearly a very disturbed man. I am glad they captured him again.