North Dakota’s Most Talked About Prison Breaks

You would think breaking out of a correctional facility in this day and age would be nearly impossible, but it has happened several times over the past 30 years.

I was curious today, and thought it would be interesting to see just how many times, and what the circumstances were around some of our state's most recent prison breaks.

Richard McNair

One of the most publicized prison breaks in recent North Dakota history happened in October of 1992. According to Grokipedia, Richard Lee McNair was sentenced to life in prison after attempting to burglarize a grain elevator and committing a murder in 1988.

McNair tried to escape multiple times, one where he tried to get out of handcuffs by using lip balm.

The second attempt happened at the North Dakota State Penitentiary, where he and two other inmates crawled through an air duct. They were later found in July 1993. McNair made a third attempt at escape in 2006 from the Pollock, Louisiana, Penitentiary. After this, he was added to the America's Most Wanted list.

William Rawson

According to KVRR, a man by the name of William Rawson escaped from the McLean County Jail in Washburn in 2016. The source says he somehow gained access to the attic space and escaped to the roof.

Rawson was later found hiding in a cornfield after a high-speed chase.

Bo Carrier & Karlin Dahl

These two North Dakota inmates were locked up at Walsh County Jail in May of  2021. That month, the two attempted to take the keys from one guard, but failed to do so. They were, however, able to lock her in the cell they were occupying. The two went on to overpower another guard and eventually escape. According to PrisonLeaglNews.org, the two were quickly recaptured.

Kyle Maez-Schaak

According to KVRR, Schaak escaped from Grand Forks Correctional Center in 2024. He had been arrested more than 30 times over the course of several years and made a break for it. Carrington police, working alongside many other agencies, captured him.

Roman James Poitra

Poitra was being held at the Missouri River Correctional Facility (minimum security) in November of 2025 when he made his escape. Poitra failed to return after an off-site work assignment. This prompted authorities to do a widespread search throughout North Dakota. According to KFYR-TV, he was later found at a residence in Devils Lake.

Keep in mind, there are other prison breaks that have occurred within the past 30 years, these are just some of the many.