RALEIGH, N.C. - An ailing 81-year-old North Carolina man who escaped from a Maryland prison 43 years ago was taken into custody yesterday to face extradition, a move his attorneys decried as a waste of time because of his age and poor health.
Willie Parker, who suffers from several health problems, served about a quarter of his sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon before escaping in 1965. He was tracked down in February.
Parker was arrested during a court hearing yesterday, said defense attorney Andrew Jackson. He said Parker was held for about an hour before extradition documents arrived from Gov. Mike Easley's office.
