During two weeks in September, the Philadelphia area was gripped by a dramatic, unpredictable, and unnerving manhunt for a convicted killer. Residents impacted by the search wanted answers: how did Danilo Cavalcante escape from Chester County Prison, and where did he go? For nearly 150 years, one of Philadelphia’s most popular neighborhoods lived under the steady specter of incarcerated people breaking out of a maximum security prison in their backyard. What parallels can be found between escape stories from famed Eastern State Penitentiary and the Danilo Cavalcante manhunt? How did the presence of Eastern State affect the community that grew around it? Why is studying lessons from the past vital to thinking critically about the criminal justice system in the present? Brian Seltzer visited Eastern State Penitentiary to learn some history, get answers, and connect some dots. 

For all the twists, turns, and takeaways from escape to capture in the Cavalcante manhunt, check out Manhunt: Catching a killer in Chesco, an original podcast from KYW Newsradio.