Pennsylvania State Police lead search for escaped murderer as mother pleads for his surrender.

Pennsylvania State Police have taken over the search for a recently convicted murderer who escaped⁢ from a state prison and are broadcasting a message from his mother asking him to turn himself over⁤ to law enforcement officials.

Danelo ​Cavalcante, a 34-year-old originally from Brazil, was awaiting transfer to a state facility when he escaped from Chester County​ Prison in West Chester at around 8:45 a.m. on Aug. 31.

Authorities have yet to disclose how he was able to get out of prison but are offering a $10,000 reward‌ for information leading to⁢ his arrest.

Mr. Cavalcante fatally stabbed his girlfriend of ‍two years, ‍Deborah Brandao, in front of her 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son at her home in Schuylkill Township ⁣in April‌ 2021. A jury sentenced him to life in prison⁣ without parole‌ last month.

Prosecutors allege that Ms. Brandao⁤ had threatened to expose Mr. Cavalcante’s criminal past. He is also wanted in connection with a 2017 homicide in Brazil.

Although U.S. Marshals, along with local and other federal law enforcement⁤ agencies, have been searching for Mr. Cavalcante—who has been spotted four times⁤ since ‍his ​escape, including just one hour after getting out of the ⁣prison—they are yet to locate and apprehend him.

State police have now taken over the investigation and have deployed helicopters and patrol ​cars as they ⁤ramp up⁤ the ‍search for the convicted killer.

‘Encouraging’ Message From Killer’s Mother

Additionally, Mr. Cavalcante’s ⁣mother⁢ has been ⁢called in to help and ‍has recorded a voice message urging her son⁣ to turn himself⁢ over to the police “peacefully,” Pennsylvania​ State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a press conference Monday.

The recording, which is in Portuguese, is being broadcast in the search area to “facilitate” Mr. Cavalcante’s “peaceful surrender” he said, without ‍providing details regarding the exact contents of⁣ the message.

Elsewhere, Robert Clark, supervisory ⁢deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, confirmed that‌ state police have taken over the investigation but ‍stressed that law enforcement officials ​were ​”all on the same team” and would continue to put pressure on Mr. ⁢Cavalcante until they ⁣could⁤ bring him in.

Speaking of the broadcast, Mr. Clark said it⁤ was sent out “through the helicopter yesterday and through ⁣the patrol cars in the hopes ‍that perhaps, as desperate as he is, maybe he has a change of thought and hears his mother telling him to surrender and his family​ cares about him.”

The message is “just ⁢encouraging that his family loves him and that she wants⁢ him to surrender,” ⁣he said.

“He’s desperate, he’s hungry, he’s been in​ the woods, he’s dirty, perhaps this is what puts him over the edge so⁤ that​ we can​ get a peaceful surrender,” Mr. Clark added of the escapee.

Credible Sightings ⁢of Suspect

Officials also confirmed during Monday’s press conference that⁢ there have been four ⁤credible sightings of Mr. Cavalcante in a two-mile radius of ⁤the Pocopson Township since his escape and police are focusing their search in‌ that area.

The latest sighting was on Sunday afternoon by a‌ trooper who was unable‌ to ⁤reach Mr. Cavalcante before he disappeared, officials said.

“When you talk a two-mile radius, you’ve​ got to ‍remember⁤ this is⁤ a five-foot-tall gentleman, 120 pounds, and this is a heavily, heavily wooded⁤ area,” Mr. ​Clark said. “It’s very, very thick back there. The