Inmate's cousin thinks he manipulated his way to escape

KANSAS CITY, Kansas - A relative of the convicted sex offender who escaped state custody at the Wyandotte County courthouse believes the man charmed his way into unwarranted privileges.

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George Dudley, 62, hates confrontations, but is very good at getting his way, according to Dudley’s cousin Robert Meister.

“He can manipulate,” Meister said over the phone. “(Dudley) would just turn on the charm and then everything would work. He was always doing what he thought you wanted him to do and then you would turn around and he’s completely different.”

Meister lived with Dudley in the 1980’s in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, Dudley went to prison for child sex crimes.

“What I knew was that he liked little boys and had that sexual problem,” Meister said.

For similar reasons, Dudley served time in two other states, including Kansas. Four years ago, a judge ordered Dudley to stay at Larned State Hospital until he completed the state’s sexual predator treatment program.

While there, Dudley behaved well enough to earn privileges including the right to not wear arm and/or leg restraints when travelling to court hearings.

Under those conditions, Dudley and three other Larned patients showed up at the Wyandotte County courthouse for civil commitment hearings.

Despite the presence of four Larned staff members and surveillance cameras, Dudley escaped by simply walking away.

“The details of how and why he walked away, we’re pulling up camera footage right now,” said Jeffery Fewell, Jail Administrator for the Wyandotte County Jail. “We’re taking statements from the Larned State Hospital personnel and figuring that out right now.”

If you ask Meister, he believes Dudley’s ability to charm those around him led to privileges he should not have. 

Authorities say Dudley should be considered extremely dangerous. If you have seen him, call 911 or the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office at (913) 573-2830