Prisoner whose escape in a dog crate became a movie dies behind bars

John Manard escaped with the help of a woman leading a dog training rehabilitation program at his prison

John Manard was serving a life sentence when he died, 18 years after his escape (Kansas Department of Corrections)

An inmate who once escaped from prison by hiding in a dog crate, and whose story inspired a book and a movie, died behind bars on Sunday at the age of 45 in Arizona.

John Manard managed to escape from a prison in Lansing, Kansas, in 2006, while serving a life sentence for a suburban Kansas City killing.

It was there that the then-27-year-old met and struck up a romantic relationship with Toby Dorr, then Young, a 47-year-old married mother of two who worked helping prisoners train animals for adoption.

On February 12, 2006, Dorr hid Manard in a dog crate before driving him out of the prison, with prison officials saying she took advantage of the trust she gained while running the program to do so.

A guard who recognized Dorr reportedly did not thoroughly search the van.

John Manard, left, walking a dog with Toby Dorr, then Young in December 2005 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The pair were captured 12 days after the escape in Tennessee, about 90 miles south of a remote cabin they had been hiding out at, with the story featuring on Dateline and becoming the inspiration for the movie, Jailbreak Lovers.

Authorities traced them after receiving a tip that Dorr, using a false name, had bought a pickup truck in Missouri prior to the escape, according to Kansas Corrections Department spokesman Bill Miskell at the time.

On the receipt they found the address of a remote cabin in Alpine, Tennessee, and decided to stake out the property.

“They had a pretty good head start, but they left some crumbs along the way,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Ray Stewart said at the time. “I guess you could say we were hungry.”

Her husband filed for divorce after her arrest. When she later remarried, she became Toby Dorr.

She ended up serving 27 months for her role in breaking Manard out of prison, and also pleaded guilty in federal court to giving him a gun.

John Manard holding a puppy that was living in his cell block in January 2006 (AP)

After Dorr’s 2008 release, she wrote a book recounting what happened in her memoir, Living With Conviction. She also remarried.

In a Facebook post, Dorr claimed Manard had asked for a bible in May, which she and her husband, Chris, obliged by sending "A nice red leather study bible – his favorite color.”

"Many of our recent conversations were deep into biblical stories," she added.

She also revealed the three discussed Manard joining the Dorr couple to start a podcast, 2 Dorrs Down, about "time dedicated to ending felony murder."

Apparently in love with the idea, Manard said August 23 he would call Dorr and her husband on Monday night to be recorded for the first episode.

"John is finally free," wrote Dorr on Manard's death before he could contribute to the podcast. "But I am crushed."

Per standard procedure, his death is being investigated in consultation with the county medical examiner's office, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry