Florida “Cold Case” Inmate Recaptured in Georgia

A Florida inmate who escaped from a Tampa Work Release Center in 1983 was arrested in Georgia Monday, January 24, when fingerprints stemming from a public urination charge caught the eye of alert law enforcement officers.

Edward Nathan, Jr., 50, was serving a five-year sentence out of Duval County for robbery with a deadly weapon, with a three year mandatory provision for the use of a firearm, when he escaped August 27, 1983 from Tampa Community Correctional Center (work release).

He was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia on Friday January 21 for Public Urination. Nathan was released on bond on Saturday, January 22, 2011, before his fingerprints had been submitted through the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) because his offense was a civil infraction, rather than a misdemeanor or a felony offense. Once the fingerprints were identified by the Department of Corrections’ fugitive unit, they quickly reached out to their law enforcement partners in Georgia.

“I want to thank Fingerprint Analyst Robyn Anderson of the Atlanta Police Department, who put a rush on the fingerprint confirmation for us, and the arresting officers -- US Marshal Vernon Johnson and Fugitive Investigator Neal McWhorter,” said Secretary McNeil. “They were the key to accomplishing this arrest within a few hours of being notified of the possibility that Edward Nathan was our fugitive.”

Nathan, who was living under the name “Claude Brooks,” in Georgia, waived extradition and the Department is arranging to have him returned to Florida. The Florida Department of Corrections Fugitive Unit has had notable success in recapturing fugitives since its inception in January 2007, using existing staff and resources, and works aggressively with law enforcement to develop and follow leads. An inmate is eligible to be placed on the list if s/he has been missing for more than 30 days, and some cases are older (and colder) than 60 years. 

The Florida Department of Corrections has not had an inmate escape from a secure perimeter since 2006.

(L to R): Photo on left is of "Claude Brooks" taken on Monday, 01/24/2011, by the Fulton County Jail. Photo on right is a picture of Florida escaped inmate Edward Nathan taken on 07/01/1982.