Murderer who escaped Leavenworth military prison 37 years ago captured in Florida

A murderer who escaped the military prison at Fort Leavenworth 37 years ago was captured Thursday while living a peaceful life in Deerfield Beach, Fla., an oceanside suburb north of Fort Lauderdale.

James Robert Jones, 69, was tracked by the U.S. Marshals Service using facial recognition and was arrested when he showed up for work at Pompano Beach. Jones had been using a fraudulent driver’s license since 1981, but after he was fingerprinted he admitted his true identity, the Marshals Service said.

Jones was a private serving a 23-year sentence for premeditated murder and aggravated assault when he escaped from the maximum-security Disciplinary Barracks in 1977.

Authorities say Jones used the name Bruce Walter Keith.

Jones was one of the Army’s 15 most wanted fugitives. The Army in January requested the Marshals Service’s assistance in finding Jones.

Using a facial-recognition database, investigators found a positive match to Keith in Florida. A task force conducted surveillance at his home Thursday and followed him to work.

This story was originally published March 13, 2014 at 10:22 PM with the headline "Murderer who escaped Leavenworth military prison 37 years ago captured in Florida."