Convicted rapist who escaped from Arkansas prison using jet ski in 2022 is captured, authorities say

A convicted rapist who authorities say used a jet ski during an escape from an Arkansas prison has been arrested in West Virginia. The U.S. Marshals Service says Samuel Paul Hartman was taken into custody Tuesday along with his wife, his mother and his mother’s boyfriend at a Lewisburg hotel. Authorities say the women are accused of helping Hartman escape in August 2022. Hartman was on a work detail when a pickup truck approached and he ran to the vehicle. Hartman and the women later jumped on jet skis and apparently crossed the Mississippi River. Investigators determined that Hartman’s mother had ties to West Virginia. Hartman had been sentenced to life in prison in 2013, and an official says he's expected to be extradited to Arkansas.