SHERMAN–A fugitive who has lived in Sherman for the past 48 years after escaping from a Georgia prison has been hospitalized.
Robert Stackowitz, 71, was sentenced to 17 years in a Georgia prison in 1968 for armed robbery. He escaped after two years, hopped a plane to Connecticut, and “came home.” He’s lived peacefully in Sherman ever since, and even has a social security card and driver’s license in his name.
FOX 61 spoke to Stackowitz last week, and he told us that he’s ill. That is part of the supporting documentation that his attorney, Norm Pattis, has provided to the state of Georgia along with his request for clemency.
“[It would] probably kill me, to be honest with you,” said Stackowitz about the possibility of him returning to prison to finish up his 17-year sentence. “My health is not good.”
Pattis told FOX 61 on Tuesday that Stackowitz has been hospitalized for more than a day now due to issues related to possible kidney failure.
Stackowitz suffers from a host of illnesses including heart problems, circulatory issues, diabetes and bladder cancer. Pattis has said Stackowitz’s health already confines him without the need for a jail cell.
