Escaped New Mexico Convict Added to Most Wanted List

Escaped Curry County, New Mexico convict Edward Salas has been added to the U.S. Marshall's Top 15 Most Wanted List.

According to the Marshall's office, at the time of his escape, Salas was serving a life sentence plus 56 years for his involvement in an incident which resulted in the murder of a 10 year-old boy.

The U.S. Marshall's office is offering a reward of up to $25,000 is offered for information leading directly to Salas' arrest.

“Salas was party to a horrific crime, the murder of an innocent young child, and has been on the run for far too long,” said Geoffrey S. Shank, Acting Assistant Director for Investigative Operations. “There is no hiding from the long arm of the law. We will employ every available resource to locate, arrest, and return Salas to prison so that he can serve the remainder of his sentence.”

Nearly three years into his prison term, Salas and seven other prisoners escaped from the Detention Center. He made his way to Friona, Texas, where he stayed under the radar until November 27, 2008, when he was spooked from his hideout by law enforcement activity in the area. A fellow escapee, Luis Chaves, was arrested, but Salas disappeared.

“Salas committed a dastardly violent act against an innocent child and for this very reason every law enforcement agency within the District of New Mexico will relentlessly pursue justice against him,” said Conrad E. Candelaria, U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico. “This pursuit is now rippling with a wave of support throughout the entire United States; every Marshals Service office in 94 Districts will work collectively to ensure justice is served against this child killer.”

The America's Most Wanted profile on Salas has more details about his escape from prison: Curry County District Attorney Matthew Chandler says that the men collaborated over a period of three days to escape from the cell where they were staying. Matthew said the men wriggled through a small door, then shimmied into a small storage closet where they then used homemade tools to break through the building's insulation, then it's roof.

Edward Salas is 5'5" and weighs 180 lbs. He also has two tattoos: the name "Salas" on his back and the name "Lisa" on his right arm.