Idaho murder suspect recaptured after walking away from prison work camp: Authorities

A murder suspect who walked away from a correctional facility in Idaho has been recaptured after a 24-hour manhunt, authorities said.

In an update at 9:15 p.m. local time, the Idaho Department of Correction said Kevin Nicholas Kuintzle, 33, was located and arrested in Pocatello, Idaho, without incident on Friday evening.

Kuintzle, a resident of the St. Anthony Work Camp in Fremont County, was last seen at the minimum-security facility around 8 p.m. local time Thursday, the department said.

He was latter spotted in Idaho Falls and was believed to have been involved in an attempted carjacking and theft of a firearm in the city on Friday afternoon, the Idaho Falls Police Department said.

The police department warned that Kuintzle was considered "armed and dangerous and should not be approached."

Kuintzle has an ongoing first-degree murder case in Jerome County, according to the Idaho Department of Correction. He is accused of fatally shooting an 84-year-old man at the victim's home in September 2023. His charges in that case also include burglary and destruction of evidence. His trial has been scheduled for next year, court records show.

His criminal record includes convictions for grand theft in Ada County and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent in Canyon County, the Idaho Department of Correction said. He was eligible for parole in April 2022 and his sentence was scheduled to be satisfied in January 2030, it said.

Kuintzle was believed to be driving a silver and green single-cab 1995 Dodge pickup with missing paint, according to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office.