Escaped Blair County inmate pleads guilty, faces life in prison

Former Blair County inmate Eric Feight escapes, is recaptured, and now pleads guilty with a life sentence hanging in the balance.

Eric Feight, a 31-year-old man from Altoona, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday after he pleaded guilty to escaping from the Blair County Prison in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 20, 2023. Feight was serving a sentence of 10 to 20 years for robbery and aggravated assault when he escaped from the prison by climbing over a fence and fleeing into the woods. He was recaptured by police two days later in a wooded area near the prison.

During his plea hearing, Feight admitted to escaping from the prison and said that he did so because he was afraid for his safety. He said that he had been threatened by other inmates and that he felt that he needed to escape in order to protect himself.

The judge who sentenced Feight said that he took into account Feight's mental health issues when he imposed the sentence. The judge said that Feight had a history of mental illness and that he had been taking medication for his condition. The judge said that he believed that Feight was a danger to society and that the life sentence was necessary to protect the public.

Feight's attorney said that he plans to appeal the sentence.