On June 9, a Leavenworth County jury found Bradley G. Verstraete, 55, guilty of aggravated escape from custody. On Friday, a judge sentenced Verstraete to an additional 57 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections, per a release from the office of Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.

Verstraete was serving a 102-month sentence at Lansing Correctional Facility when he was discovered missing during the facility’s standard 8:30 p.m. inmate count on April 7, 2024.

Verstraete had been assigned to E-Dorm, a minimum-security living unit, but was still considered in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections. Facility surveillance footage showed Verstraete walking out of the unit without authorization. He was declared an escapee shortly thereafter. The following day, April 8, 2024, a concerned citizen reported a suspicious individual in the 900 block of 4-H Road in Lansing. A Lansing police officer responded and apprehended Verstraete.

“Escaping custody isn’t just illegal — it’s a threat to public safety,” Thompson said. “Escapes can create fear and disrupt daily life for our community members.”