Man convicted in 1997 slaying listed as escaped

LINCOLN, Neb. – Authorities say a man convicted of a 1997 slaying in Nebraska escaped a work-release centre six days after his victim’s son was killed.

The Nebraska Correctional Services Department says 40-year-old Anthony Gafford left the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln at 6 a.m. Saturday to go to work. But he never returned.

A spokeswoman said Tuesday that there has been no change in his escaped status.

Gafford was convicted of second-degree murder and a weapons charge, and sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison for fatally shooting Jacque Holbert in September 1997. Prison records say his scheduled release date is Dec. 11, 2022.

Holbert’s son, 21-year-old Jacque “Jack” Holbert IV, was fatally shot in Omaha on Jan. 20. No arrests have been reported.