A convicted murderer who escaped from a Colorado prison in 1975 was caught Monday in Nevada, according to the U.S. Marshal’s office.
Robert Charles Johnson , 57, formerly of Colorado Springs, was serving a 10 to 15-year sentence for a second-degree murder conviction when he escaped from the Fremont Correctional Facility in Cañon City April 22, 1975 .
Johnson, who assumed the name “Robert Fargo” and worked for river-rafting companies near Angel’s Camp, Calif. after his escape, was arrested by a team of U.S. Marshals acting on information from the Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group in Denver, according to a statement from the U.S. Marshals Office.
Johnson was arrested at his home in Gardnerville, Nev., which is about 60 miles south of Reno, the statement said.
In 1973, Johnson pleaded guilty to the murder of 23-year-old Michael A. Lucas of Colorado Springs.
According to Denver Post archives, Lucas was shot three times, once in the chest and twice in the head, Feb. 26, 1972 . Lucas was shot in his car after offering Johnson a ride and allegedly making homosexual advances.
Chief Judge Patrick M. Hinton in El Paso County District Court handed down the minimum sentence in exchange for Johnson’s plea.
Johnson is being held in the Douglas County Jail in Nevada pending extradition.
Staff writer Cassie Hewlings can be reached at 303-954-1638 or at chewlings@denverpost.com.
