Startling Story of a Montana Prison Escapee That Was Never Found

The state of Montana is no stranger to manhunts and criminals on the lam. It goes back to the outlaw days of the old West when bank robbers and bandits would travel to Montana to hide out from the law. For years, wanted criminals used Montana to escape capture.

In 1996, a man escaped from the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge and has never been captured. Phillip Kenneth Sadowski was convicted of murdering Big Sky ski lift operator Robert Hare in 1989, and on July 1st, 1996, he escaped Montana State Prison by allegedly stealing a truck from a prison logging crew.

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According to a Bozeman Daily Chronicle article, Sadowski was serving a 40-year sentence for deliberate homicide and was 60 years old when he escaped. Guards didn't realize he was missing until two hours later giving him plenty of time to get away. The Ford F-150 that Sadowski used to escape was located a few months later, be he was never seen again.

We searched for an update on Phillip Sadowski, and couldn't find anything indicating that he was ever captured. He was reportedly seen purchasing a bottle of whiskey at a bar near Four Corners, Montana in the mid-90s, but the sighting didn't lead to him being captured.

Sadowski escaped from prison over 27 years ago, and if he's still alive, he would be around 87 years old are barely recognizable. He is one of the most wanted criminals in Montana state history, and his whereabouts are still unknown. To read additional details regarding the case, click here.