Escaped prisoner drops challenge, extradited to Michigan

LAPORTE, Ind. -- Escaped prisoner Michael Elliot decided to stop fighting extradition and is on his way back to Michigan. He escaped from the Ionia Correctional Facility on February 2 and was free for 24 hours before he was captured in LaPorte County, Indiana.



Elliot has been in the LaPorte County Jail since he was captured. He has been fighting extradition.



Elliot withdrew his petition to fight extradition on Thursday and he is headed back to the same facility in Ionia, Michigan.



20 years ago, Elliot was convicted of a quadruple murder. He said one of the reasons he fought extradition was to draw attention to his case. He says he is innocent of the murders.



The LaPorte County Jail Commander at the La Porte Sheriff's Office said it was a relief to have Elliot on his way back to Michigan.



"We are a sheriff's department. We are not a correctional facility that is set up to handle somebody that is a maximum security prisoner. Our staff did very good. We did exactly what we were supposed to do - keep him here until he was ready to go back to Michigan," said Jail Commander Michael Kellems.

When asked if he would attempt to escape again, Elliot said he wouldn't rule it out.