Man who fled prison after being charged with 4 murders pleads guilty to slayings, other crimes

A man who escaped from prison last year after being charged with four murders and then spent a week and a half on the run before he was recaptured has pleaded guilty to the slayings and other crimes. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that 20-year-old Ameen Hurst entered the plea Friday to third-degree murder, attempted murder, escape, conspiracy and firearms crimes. Law enforcement authorities said he was affiliated with two allied Philadelphia gangs responsible for a wave of violence. Hurst and another inmate escaped in May 2023 from the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center in northeast Philadelphia. He was recaptured 10 days later.