Robert Stackowitz, the robbery convict who drove a state car away from prison 48 years ago, may never have to come back to Georgia.
Stackowitz is the fugitive from a Georgia prison who was caught in Connecticut in May after 48 years on the run. He had been leading a quiet life in a small city in Connecticut, running a boat repair service. Initially Georgia officials insisted that he be returned to Georgia to face justice.
Stackowitz was convicted of taking part in the robbery of a home in Henry County in 1966 and was sentenced to 17 years. News of his arrest at home in Sherman, Conn., prompted an outpouring of support for Stackowitz when the people of Sherman said he was a good man who'd lived and worked in their community for years.
On Tuesday night, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a brief statement indicating that the 71-year-old fugitive may end up remaining under "community supervision" in Connecticut.
The statement noted that the board has granted the fugitive a "medical reprieve." Stackowitz had been petitioning the board to allow him to remain in Connecticut because of a series of health problems that he said include congestive heart failure, bladder cancer, diabetes, skin problems and swelling in his legs.
Beyond that approval by the board, the board's statement said his case is being "submitted through the interstate compact for his supervision to be with the state of Connecticut."
It concluded, "If approved by Connecticut, Stackowitz will remain under community supervision in Connecticut through the end of his sentence, which is July 14, 2022."
Stackowitz, who was being held at a prison camp in Carroll County in 1968, says he was such a good mechanic that prison officials allowed him to work off site on county school buses parked nearby. They even provided a vehicle for him to get there.
“One morning I got in the truck and drove away,” he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
About the Author
