Only on Lifetime Real Women. Check Your Local Listings.
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Only on Lifetime Real Women. Check Your Local Listings. |
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SYNOPSIS: On November 27, 1985, the night before Thanksgiving, throngs of holiday shoppers crowded a local grocery store in Greenville, South Carolina. Outside, Rusty Corvette, a convicted felon on probation and Sam Wodke, an armed robber on parole prepared to rob the store. Waiting nervously in the back seat of their car was Wodke's 19 year-old son, Richard. Brandishing weapons, Wodke, the mastermind of the plan, and Corvette, who was wearing a ski mask, entered the store and ordered everyone to hit the floor. Moments later, they escaped with almost $8000. But the robbers didn't get away clean. Two store employees caught the make and license plate number of the car. Minutes after the robbery, the car was spotted by a Greenville County Sheriff's Deputy who began pursuit. Within minutes, other units were converging on the robbers. Officer Dennis Eubanks and a volunteer constable, Valdon Keith, moved in from the opposite direction. Eubanks and Keith swung around, managing to get ahead of the chase. But before they could set up a road block, the robbers were on top of them. Moments later, as the suspects pulled alongside of the police car, Wodke opened fire, then sped away. Back-up arrived too late for the police. Volunteer Valdon Keith, the father of 4, was dead. Within 48 hours, authorities had arrested all 3 suspects. Sam Wodke, charged with 1st degree murder, was facing the death penalty. In jail, Wodke talked Rusty Corvette into another cold- blooded scheme; they would both finger Wodke's son as the trigger man. Sam Wodke paraded his innocent act to the media, sporting a dapper mustache and a cavalier attitude. But in the end, Wodke was convicted of murder, primarily because his son and Rusty Corvette testified against him. Wodke had, however, created just enough doubt to get a life sentence instead of the death penalty. As he was leaving the courthouse, Wodke allegedly claimed that he would get out. Eventually, after several botched escape attempts, Wodke made good on his boast. On January 8, 1994, Wodke and another inmate, Danny Lail, were assigned to an unsupervised landscaping detail on the prison grounds. Because it was Saturday, there was no midday head count. The convicts used a stolen hacksaw blade with a home-made handle to gain access to a network of underground steam tunnels. Wodke and Lail sliced through 3 wire gates, a steel door, and the rebars sandwiched between 2 wire mesh gates. Late in the afternoon, Wodke and Lail made it to the boiler room. The trustees working there didn't want to get caught helping the escapees, but they weren't about to stand in the way. With minutes to spare, Wodke and Lail drove a prison truck through the main gate and disappeared. Police caught up with Lail less than a month later. Wodke, however, is still at large. Authorities believe that he may do anything to preserve his freedom.
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