In the summer of 1980, the quiet community of Chehalis, Washington, was disturbed by a brutal act of violence that ended the life of a local resident. On August 7, 78-year-old Theodore May was found bludgeoned to death in the garage of his own home. The discovery of the well-respected male member of the community sent ripples of concern through the town and prompted an immediate and thorough criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding his violent demise.
The investigation into the death of Theodore May led authorities to a 27-year-old man named William Perry Jackson. As the case against him solidified, Jackson ultimately pleaded guilty to the brutal beating that resulted in May's death. While awaiting his return to the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, Jackson was held at the Lewis County Jail in Washington. It was from this facility that he would stage a daring escape, adding another layer of drama and fear to the already tragic case.
Jackson, along with another inmate, managed to tunnel through a plaster wall of the jail, navigate through a crawl space, and emerge onto the courthouse roof through a skylight. Using a makeshift rope fashioned from blankets, the two men lowered themselves to the ground and vanished into the night. The escape triggered a manhunt, and several hours later, Jackson was recaptured without incident while walking down a street in southeast Portland, Oregon. He was unarmed and had changed out of his jail uniform. His recapture brought a sense of relief to the community and ensured he would face justice for the murder of Theodore May.
