Toby Dorr had been working inside a Kansas prison for just over a year when a slender inmate with close-cropped red hair started paying special attention to her. She even agreed to pay roughly $7,500 in restitution and was ultimately condemned to 27 months in jail. Her husband divorced her while she was in prison. In a prison full of fearful, insecure men, his brash behavior sizzled. With such a truly extraordinary and fulfilling purpose, I could not have been more oblivious to the insatiable gravity within me when John appeared from across the prison yard. He was an inmate at the Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth Kansas, where Dorr administered a volunteer rehabilitative dog program for the Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program. Dateline NBC dives deep into how John escaped and where he is now in exclusive interviews with his ex-lover, Toby Dorr. Toby Young and John Manard. In 2007, Manard was sentenced in Leavenworth County District Court to 130 months in prison for the jailbreak and a few years later, he received 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm unlawfully during that time. Manard was serving a life. However, in 2004, following a brief encounter with thyroid cancer, Toby realized that her marriage and personal life were crumbling apart and decided to establish Safe Harbor Prison Dog a rehabilitative program that paired rescued canines with inmates for further adoption. Manard was caught. In an upcoming interview on NBC's Dateline, Toby Dorr will share her story about helping convicted murderer John Manard escape from a federal prison in Kansas 15 years ago. Convicted felon John Manard was serving time for a 1996 murder when he met Toby Dorr Fmr. I'm not the same person. The one variable that brought about such a profoundly different outcome for me was an imperceptibly simple decision to live. Read more in our, In this 2018 photo, Toby Dorr, formerly Toby Young, poses for a photo in Kansas City, Mo. I loved Toby with all that I was. Ive always been given the role of the master manipulating, scumbag criminal with no morals and Toby the poor manipulated, naive, gullible, depressed, desperate, good girl that I took advantage of.. Sometimes Id say to somebody, What does red taste like? Dorr said. In October 2005, though, after a prisoner threatened Toby, her contact in the wardens officer reportedly assigned John Manard, one of the dog trainers in her program, to be her escort for a while. They drove to Chattanooga, took in an IMAX movie, did some shopping at a Sears and patronized a Barnes & Noble, where Maynard bought Dorr Where the Red Fern Grows, a classic boy-meets-dog novel. He shook my hand gently yet firmly. After landing on the still breathing side of cancer, I yearned for more. A dog licked his face. John Michael Manard Today: Where Is the Convicted Murderer Now? Why did I stay with her once I was out if I was just manipulating? The episode is set to air on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 9 pm ET. She was Toby Young then, 48 years old, and in February 2006 she did the unthinkable. He had been in prison around 10 years before he met Dorr and the two began planning their escape. Dorr blacked out. (NBC News) - Tonight on "Dateline," when Kansas prisoner John Manard escapes with the help of Toby Dorr, a prison volunteer and mother of two who was 20 years his senior, investigators. Manard was serving a life sentence for a 1996 murder at the Lansing Correctional Facility when he met Dorr, who was leading a volunteer rehabilitative dog program. In 2004, Dorr, a married mother of two and cancer survivor, started the Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program at the Lansing Correctional Facility, a program with the goal of allowing certain inmates to house dogs in their cells in preparation for the dogs adoption, the Atlantic reported. She added that he was quick to divorce her after she was caught and arrested. Manard and Dorr hopped in a car and fled the authorities in what would become one of the most notorious high-speed car chases of all time. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Get our roundup of longform stories every Saturday. Their luck ran out when Maynard grew restless and wanted to explore the world he hadnt seen since being imprisoned at 19. Toby Young met inmate John Manard while working at a Kansas prison and after the two fell in love, she helped him escape in a dog crate. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Know more in just minutes with our free newsletters. Although she was married at the time, the marriage was broken, Dorr said. Be the first one to comment on this story. I loved Toby with all that I was. Although, one of the last times the former couple saw each other was actually when Toby, having remarried, visited John with her new husband, Chris, in 2016. The Safe Harbour Prison Dog program is still operating at the prison. Id like to be your next handler. I squinted one eye and shaded my other with my left hand. In his mind, I think he had the idea he could get out. Toby Dorr and John Manard were caught in Tennessee following a chance encounter with deputies that lead to a high-speed chase and their vehicle crashing into a tree. And then he was gone. Dorr has since opened up about her story and provided more details about how she came to meet Manard and fall for the inmate she eventually helped escape. In 2005, I couldnt have been more average, the center of demographic medians in the United States. When she did this, she noticed, guards failed to search the crates containing the dogs, and rarely scrutinized her as she left the prison in a van. They had spent each day doing different activities, including going to the movies and Manard even bought Dorr a parakeet. Heck, I was even born and raised in the geographic center of the country, in a city not so big and not so small: Kansas City. Manard got 10 years added to his sentence as a result of the prison break. NBCs Dateline: Breakout chronicles a February 2006 case that captured the nations attention not because of the convicted killer who broke out of prison but because of the volunteer who aided him. Maynard's serving a life sentence. It looked like he had this halo of light around him, Dorr said. In a letter Maynard wrote the newspaper in response to an inquiry for its article, he said he was a 17-year-old child at the time of the murder, and called it a huge mistake.. Both Dorr and Manard were arrested. Dorr was married at the time andManard was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder for his role in a fatal 1996 carjacking when he was 17, according to the Kansas City Star. Toby Dorr, then Toby Young, was in her late 40s when she fell for John Manard, then 28. Two years after they first met, in February 2006, Dorr assisted Maynard in escaping from jail. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Upon realizing that the guards rarely searched Toby or her van as she left the prison, John lost 25 pounds in mere months and put his plan into effect two days before Valentines day 2006. officers soon acquired the address for the remote cabin the couple was using as their hideout. Part of Dorrs job involved taking dogs out of the prison once they had been re-trained and adopted. John hid in a dog carrier in Tobys van, and she drove them away without being searched, only to be apprehended nearly two weeks later. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! If you're a woman who's fallen, I feel your pain. When John realized that prison officers rarely inspected the dog crates, used to transfer dogs for rehab purposes or Toby's van that she used to carry the crates, he began planning. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The two then got in the pick-up truck and drove away. In addition, she serves as a public motivational speaker and author, with her memoir Unleashed to be released very soon. It was while John was serving his penalty at the Lansing Correctional Facility in October 2005 that he met Toby Dorr (then Toby Young), whod recently begun a rehabilitative program that paired rescued dogs with prisoners for further adoption. According to LJ World, Manards attorney explained, What he meant by that was that it was worth it to him to serve an additional 130 months in prison for the brief period of time that he got to spend with Toby Young in his value system. Lonnie Glosson, 93, americk country hudebnk, skladatel a osobnost rdia. But what happened to Manard since his notorious 2006 prison escape? Toby Dorr (who was Toby Young when she met John Manard) was the reason that John Manard was able to escape. And John Manards prison escape checked all the boxes. 'Dateline' Gets to the Bottom of Annie Kasprzak's Confusing Murder, It's Been One Year Since Vanessa Guillen's Body Was Found Her Fianc Is Still Mourning Her Loss, Was Tom Kolman Fatally Poisoned By His Friend? There, they hid out in a remote cabin for 12 days, where police would later find novels, sex toys, two handguns, $25,000 cash, a blue parakeet, a guitar, materials to forge identification papers and sheet music to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Coen Brothers jail-break film. Everything about him, a testament to his character, unlike any other convicted killer Id met while volunteering at the prison. Why did I stay with her once I was out if I was just manipulating? She broke him out. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The working title: "Unleashed.". The moment they were handcuffed was the very last time the pair were together as a couple. John Maynard was someone who paid . We all must choose. I never smoked or drank alcohol, chewed gum in class . Kansas Department of CorrectionsLansing Correctional Facility. Toby Dorr was a 48-year-old, volunteering at a Kansas prison when she met and got romantically involved with an inmate named John Manard and helped him escape. Copyright 2023 Distractify. It went off without a hitch, writes Michael Mooney in the Atlantic. "You can't change the past," she tells Mooney. Tall, confident, and cool, John Manard, a convicted murderer, noticed me. He was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder for his role in a fatal 1996 carjacking that occurred when he was 17, according to the Kansas City Star. Toby told TODAY that although inmates never directly approached her while she was volunteering, John Manard did. Dorr was booked for 21 months in a Houston prison for her role in the escape, and when she got out, she settled back down and married in Kansas City. She said that she jumped at the chance when the prison suggested that she lead the dog rehab program. The wiser choice would have been to courageously and intentionally change before my life imploded. When she came to, an officer pulled her out of the wreckage and threw her to the ground. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. In a sense, it was an escape for her, too, from an unhappy marriage. My obsession with duty prevented me from considering more legally acceptable options. Toby Dorr worked at a Kansas prison in 2005 when she helped an inmate escape. John Manard Relationship with Toby Young While in his recovering office, John Manard was involved with Toby Young, who is currently Toby Dorr. I white-knuckled my life until desperation coerced a change. The result of her escape experiment, as described by the coroner, was a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Nearly a week later, John and his friends were apprehended, and he was charged, arrested, tried, and convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. "Her story resonates, she says, because so many women wonder if they wouldn't do the same thing." prison worker explains why she helped a killer escape John Manard was arrested in June 1996 for his. The state of Kansas has announced in recent years that they would be moving many male prisoners out of state due to overcrowding in Kansas facilities. The chase went on for 60 miles on an interstate highway. She helped pair rescued canines with inmates and took a liking to Maynard. I NEVER manipulated her in the least! Looking up, she saw her lover, handcuffed, approaching her -- dragging a gaggle of police officers behind him. And was John Manard ever caught? "I was very unhappy, and I was so depressed.". Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. I wouldn't do it today obviously. On their way out of the book store, the fugitives passed police. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The two drove to a storage facility where they swapped out the van for a pre-placed pick-up truck, which the two used to drive to Tennessee. Maybe John was wearing his inmate hat and he was perceptive enough to notice a need in me and capitalized on it. The article discusses further on her experiences, actions, and the consequences that came afterwards before NBC's Dateline episode. NBC Dateline airs on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 9 pm ET. She said although they werent allowed to touch, the chemistry grew between the two until one day, Manard asked her if she would be with him if he wasnt in prison. My eyes settled for a prolonged moment on Manard until he glanced up at me. The couple was on the run for 12 days, living in a cabin in a small village in Tennessee, until they were tracked down and arrested. Toby Young was married and managed a volunteer rehabilitative dog program at a Kansas prision when shebroke John Manard out after falling for him. In 2006, 48-year-old Toby Dorr drove away from the gates of a prison in Lansing, Kansas, with dogs from her prison foster program loaded in the back of her van. Our market was families across the country who clamored for Safe Harbor Prison dogs. She further said: In another interview with Insider, Toby Dorr claimed that when she first encountered John Manard, her feelings of insignificance, loneliness, and uncertainty were at their peak. "She's given just a handful of speeches, but each time she's been met with a line of women coming up to her afterward, confessing their own secret desire to escape," writes Mooney. They were also found in possession of two firearms, around $25,000 in cash, some s*x toys, two guitars, an amplifier, hair dye, and a laptop, among other things. The couple subsequently led investigators down a quest that lasted nearly two weeks and raised many questions about each of their involvement in the matter. Once U.S. Toby Dorr, formerly Young, seemed to have a picture-perfect life. Manard is still behind bars, reportedly in a New Hampshire facility, and likely will be for life. As per a few accounts, he is in a jail in New Hampshire. I never anticipated thats what he was talking about at the time. She said Manard planned the escape through a dog crate he lost weight to fit in. I learned that freedom is a state of mind, not a circumstance. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! And was John Manard ever caught? He executed his plan two days before Valentine's Day in 2006. 'Dateline' Is Covering the Story. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8, In 2006, Toby Dorr, formerly Toby Young, made headlines after she helped convicted murderer John Manard escape from Kansas Lansing Correctional Facility in a dog crate. On June 13, 1996, John Michael Manard and a couple of friends were high on marijuana when they drove to Overland Park and decided to jack a car, especially as they had a gun in their possession. Socially engineered safeguards designed to prevent indiscretions only fanned the flames. A fast and unbiased roundup of whats happening in the world today. Therefore, today, at the age of 42, John Michael Manard remains behind bars. She was released from prison in 2008, KMBC reported. It has been reported that he is currently incarcerated at a prison in New Hampshire. And I said, I think I probably would. You are not alone. A bit embarrassed, I blinked a couple of times, forcing my eyes back to my clipboard. The story became about more than just a prisoner on the loose, but about the danger behind trust. In the aftermath of this incident, Toby pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an aggravated jailbreak, along with introducing contraband a cell phone into prison. Toby Dorr was a 48-year-old, volunteering at a Kansas prison when she met and got romantically involved with an inmate named John Manard and helped him escape. When Kansas prisoner John Manard escapes with the help of Toby Dorr, a 48-year-old prison volunteer and mother of two, investigators scramble to track the pair down; The two were found two weeks later in Tennessee in a cabin. Would love your thoughts, please comment. ' Dorr told KMBC. She spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about the upcoming movie, her just-released memoir, and what she hopes people take away from her story. In a personal essay for TODAY, she shares more about her own journey to freedom. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. And its not just a wild story its a wild true story. He said, If I wasnt in here, would you be with me? Manard told the Star that he was in love with Dorr and he hadnt manipulated her: I loved Toby and was 100 percent committed to her, he wrote in a letter to the outlet. Toby Dorr recently released a memoir about her story. Ive always been given the role of the master manipulating, scumbag criminal with no morals and Toby the, poor manipulated, naive, gullible, depressed, desperate, good girl, that I took advantage of. Maynard lost 25 pounds, and on February 12, 2006 hid in a dog carrier as Dorr drove her van through the prison gates to freedom. All Rights Reserved. Toby Dorr smuggled inmate out of prison in a dog crate. I chose life. Both. Dorr had been helping inmates train dogs to prepare them for adoption as part of a program she founded called Safe Harbor Prison Dogs. She does not let her history define her, yet the Kansas native understands that her actions were wrong. (Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star via AP), Judge's Sentencing Remark Shows Murdaugh Family Pull, 'Lady in the Fridge' Identified 28 Years Later, Wedding Crashers Found Guilty of Killing Groom, Alex Murdaugh Receives Two Life Sentences, MI5 Had Chance to Stop Manchester Bombing, Maryland Mayor Arrested Over Alleged Child Porn, Jury Convicts Alex Murdaugh in Slayings of Wife and Son, Judge Removes Murdaugh Juror Amid Laughter, Cops: Suspect Dead After Hobby Lobby Shooting, Days After Missing Aristocrat's Arrest, Baby's Remains Found. Because he was pretty broken, too., READ NEXT: Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. Toby Dorr is infamous for helping convicted murderer John Manard escape prison in 2006. The convicted murderer added, Why did I stay with her once I was out if I was just manipulating? Dorr is working on a memoir about her experience. As the Lifetime movie depicts, she brought $25,000 in cash, hair dye and a razor for the prison break. Toby Dorr is the author of the new memoir, Living With Conviction.". By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Toby Dorr and then-27-year-old John Manard were in a bookstore when they came across police discussing how to catch them. The two soon formed a connection, as she felt like he was concerned about her. Be the first one to comment on this story. Toby Dorr fell in love with John Manard, an inmate at a prison in which she was volunteering with a dog program. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Please logout and login again. Dorr and Montgomery. She describes parallels between her situation and Joyce Mitchell. In a letter written by him to The Kansas City Star years later, he called himself a 17-year-old child at that time, who made a mistake that led to his life sentence. As a volunteer, she quickly fell in love with an inmate 27-year-old convicted killer John Manard. Theres nothing more fascinating than a true crime story filled with drama, romance, a high-speed car chase, and murder. John Michael Manard was serving a life sentence for murder when he fell in love with prison worker Toby Young, who helped him escape. She was released two years after the escape in 2008, after serving a full term. The little girl in me knew to stay quiet, but her smile remained. Dorr met Maynard in October 2005, after she was threatened by a prisoner. He was an inmate at the Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth Kansas, where Dorr administered a volunteer rehabilitative dog program for. Speeds exceeded 100 . John Manard. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Manard was serving a life sentence at Lansing Correctional Facility for a 1996 fatal carjacking in Overland Park. Since her release in 2008, Dorr has worked in every possible way to make up for her actions and build a better life for herself. Dorr was charged with aiding and abetting an aggravated escape, taking contraband into the prison, and providing firearms to a felon, the Atlantic wrote. Dorr met Manard when she was 47 and he was 27, serving a life sentence for his role in a fatal carjacking at the age of 17. The whole time I was driving between gate two and gate one, [I was thinking] that the sirens were gonna go off, and they were gonna come running, and I was trying to think of what I was gonna say, and they opened gate one, and I drove out, Dorr said. IE 11 is not supported. Toby Dorr, formerly Toby Young, then 48, pleaded guilty in 2006 to helping John Maynard, 28, escape from the Lansing Correctional Facility in Leavenworth Kansas, as well as to knowingly providing a firearm to a felon, according to a new account of the prison break published on Friday by the Kansas City Star. Young, 48, was charged Monday in Leavenworth County District Court with aiding and abetting aggravated escape and aiding a felon. He joined a group of prisoners at Kansas' Lansing Correctional Facility and even addressed her regarding personal concerns after a year on the job. Dash-cam videos from a dozen law enforcement vehicles (representing just a handful of the vehicles in the actual pursuit) form a collage synchronized to show the car chase from multiple vantage points. The convicted felon proceeded to shed 25 pounds in a few months so he could fit in the crates. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. She served 27 months in prison for her role in the escape, and Manard remains in prison. Source: NBC Article continues below advertisement While they were on the run, the story captivated the country and Dorr became known as the Dog Lady of Lansing prison. With all that said, though, Toby has since worked on herself, moved into a positive direction, gotten married again (to Chris Dorr), and began another venture, where she helps other women escape their emotional traumas through a series of personal growth programs. As per her Facebook, Toby completed the manuscript for this tale of escape and redemption in June 2019. After the visit, he wrote again to the Star, [Dorr] has a good and loving man for a husband whom I like a lot. Manard was assisted by his then-lover, Toby Dorr, who was, at the time, known as Toby Young. On Feb. 1, 2006, Kansas prisoner John Maynard escaped from Lansing Correctional Facility in a van driven by 48-year-old prison volunteer Toby Dorr. When the time had come to choose a dog, Manard inspected each one, thoughtfully analyzing his choices. John Diamond, 48, britsk novin. In February of 2006, she smuggled Manard out of the maximum-security prison in a dog crate in the back of the dog program van, the Associated Press reported in 2006. During this chase, I was in the passenger seat of the white pickup truck and John was driving. But I do think that he cared for me. I dont recommend my path, but I firmly believe that we command our own destinies. On February 12, 2006, Dorr and Manard broke out after the former used dog crates to smuggle him out. So now, if youre curious about where she is today, weve got you covered. Dorr received a 27-month sentence, Manard got 10 years added to his life sentence, and Dorr is now happily remarried to someone else. The couple then drove straight to a storage unit, where they got into a pre-placed truck and made their way to Tennessee. I dont recommend my path, but I firmly believe that we command our own destinies. Where is John Michael Manard today? What do you want to do? They chose an isolated cabin in rural Tennessee as their hideout for 12 days before being apprehended., after which, they were both sent to prison. In a personal essay for TODAY, she shares more about her own journey to freedom. The moment they were handcuffed was the very last time the pair were together as a couple. Condemned men without worldly value brought dogs back from the brink of kill shelter inevitabilities. Toby Dorr. Maybe John was wearing his inmate hat and he was perceptive enough to notice a need in me and capitalized on it. He checked mouths and eyes and slowly ran his fingers through their fur. Authorities, with little elaboration, said she helped John M.. I NEVER manipulated her in the least! 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. But that sense of escape soon turned into a real escape when she broke him out of prison and they went on the run together. Middle-aged, middle class, middle of the scale in every category white, female, politically unaware. I jumped at the opportunity when the local prison suggested that I lead a dog rehab program. Dorr took out $42,000 from her retirement savings and bought a 1997 Chevy pickup as a getaway car, NY Daily News wrote. A spotlight from a helicopter shined and backlit Maynard, outlining his tall figure in the night. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Droll noted that after offering her his hand, the inmate told her that he'd like to be her next handler. I do think that John Manard loved me to the best of his ability to love anybody at that time. His accomplice, Michael Yardley, claimed he was the one holding the gun and it went off accidentally. It was the winter of 2005, and. Serving a life term for a deadly 1996 carjacking at Lansing Correctional Facility, Kansas, 27-year-old John Manard escaped with the help of Toby Dorr, then known as Toby Young, after a romance sparked between them. I chose life again. My story challenges you to confront your fears, boldly evaluate where you are, and courageously change. Let me be crystal clear: The prison to which I refer is not the stone and steel building topped with razor wire. Dorr's children and her family also cut all ties with her after she helped Manard escape. Louis Faurer, 84, americk poulin fotograf. I did 27 months for my role in helping John Manard escape. Dorr drove Manard off the prison property without a problem, and the couple escaped to a Tennessee cabin in the woods in which authorities later found, Books, sex toys, a blue parakeet, a guitar, and sheet music to the jailbreak film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?. The similarities are uncanny. To him that meant, yes, lets escape, and to me it just meant yes, I might be with you if you were out of prison, Dorr explained. Following a 60-mile speed chase down a nearby interstate, John Manard, who was driving, lost control and crashed their vehicle into a tree, leading to the local cops and the Federal Fugitive Task Force officers seizing them for good. Powered by. She told Insider that Manard asked her about her life as she seemed upset. She helped pair rescued canines with inmates and took a liking to Maynard. Recently, I learned about Vicky White, an Alabama corrections officer who helped an inmate escape and became a fugitive, and was struck by the parallels between our stories. He continued: Ive always been given the role of the master manipulating, scumbag criminal with no morals and Toby the, poor manipulated, naive, gullible, depressed, desperate, good girl, that I took advantage of. Where is he today? She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, which would run simultaneously as her 21-month state sentence, the Oklahoman reported. The duo soon realized that they were a lot more alike than they were apart and fell in love despite Tobys marriage. Chris is a good man..