Florida parole commission hears case of man dubbed 'prison Houdini' after numerous escapes

Published January 08, 2015

Mark DeFriest was sentenced to four years in prison as a teenager for stealing tools his dead father left to him before he could legally take possession of them.

That was in 1979. DeFriest is still in prison and will likely die there unless the state Commission on Offender Review decides to reduce his release date.

DeFriest, known as the prison Houdini, had years tacked on to his sentence for various escapes and other misbehavior in prison.

But his supporters, including a documentary filmmaker, say he's never hurt anyone and his mental health issues are the reason why he's not been able to fit into the prison structure.

The commission will consider DeFriest's case Wednesday, and while he can't be immediately released, his release date could be moved up considerably.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-parole-commission-hears-case-of-man-dubbed-prison-houdini-after-numerous-escapes