Jesus Group:
Escapee hid with cult
Alison Sandy and Letitia Rowlands
The Courier-Mail
February 14, 2011
Source
ONE of Queensland's most wanted fugitives recaptured yesterday after 15 years on the run is believed to have spent years hiding out with a cult.
Luke Hunter, 42, was arrested without incident at Herberton on the Atherton Tableland in the state's north yesterday morning.
He will appear in a Brisbane court today and is expected to be charged with unlawful escape from custody.
If found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.
Hunter, is alleged to have escaped from Borallon Correctional Centre, near Ipswich in 1996.
The tall, heavily tattooed and freckled redhead was believed to have undergone plastic surgery to alter his appearance while on the run.
Police were yesterday unwilling to confirm a change to his looks.
They said he had been living at Herberton for some time and working in the area part-time.
He is believed to have spent some time as a member of the North Queensland Jesus Group.
A source with knowledge of the group yesterday said Hunter had been part of it for "many years". It is believed he was required to take a name from the ancient Aramaic language within weeks of joining.
"He's currently in custody in Cairns and will be given back to corrective services as soon as possible," Acting Detective Inspector Ed Kinbacher said.
"He'll be sent to Brisbane tomorrow (Monday).
"The investigation is in its infancy at the moment ... the case is still ongoing."
Hunter's alleged 1996 prison break-out was aided by a convicted armed robber, who cut the fence with bolt-cutters.
The other prisoner was later overpowered by prison officers in the car park and had two years added to his 10-year sentence.
The pair had obtained the tools, which also included a screwdriver and hammer, from the jail workshop.
Disclaimer:This news page is about groups, organizations or movements, which may have been called "cults" and/or "cult-like" in some way, shape or form. But not all groups called either "cults" or "cult-like" are harmful. Instead, they may be benign and generally defined as simply people intensely devoted to a person, place or thing. Therefore, the discussion or mention of a group, organization or person on this page, is not necessarily meant pejoratively. Readers are encouraged to read widely on a topic before forming an opinion. Never accept information from a single source at face value. This website only holds a small amount of information and should not be relied on as a complete source. For example, if you find older information, this should be weighed up against newer information as circumstances can change.
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