South Florida

Willie Lee Austin, Man Who Escaped Georgia Prison 34 Years Ago, Arrested in South Florida

A fugitive who escaped a Georgia prison nearly 34 years ago was captured in South Florida, officials said.

Willie Lee Austin, 60, was taken into custody Wednesday in Lauderdale Lakes by Broward Sheriff's Office SWAT team detectives and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.

Austin was being held at the Broward jail early Friday and later stood before a judge with an attorney.

Officials said Austin was serving a 15-year sentence for armed robbery when he escaped the Central State Correctional Institute in Georgia on Dec. 27, 1981.

Investigators who were recently looking into the case uncovered a possible alias for Austin and found an address in Lauderdale Lakes. He was arrested without incident.

Neighbors said Austin lived in his apartment for years, and kept a low profile.

Authorities said he moved to South Florida after the escape, where he started a furniture business. He was using the alias Larry Jackson.

Federal officers pulled him over in a furniture van Thursday and he apparently confessed.

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