I Love You Phillip Morris

More about the book

To escape from a Texas jail or prison once is unusual; to do it four times in five years, always on a Friday the 13th, is legendary. Enter Steven Russell: con artist, thief, swindler, embezzler, and hopeless romantic. Once a church organist, businessman, and Boca Raton cop, Russell turned to crime and was arrested for a series of felonies, particularly fraud. However, his true talent lay in his remarkable ability to escape from jail. Between 1993 and 1998, he executed a series of audacious prison breaks using unlikely materials—a Magic Marker, a pay phone, a walkie-talkie, and even stolen bright red women's stretch pants—combined with analytical thinking and sheer nerve. Yet, staying out of jail proved more challenging than escaping. Russell's knack for getting arrested was only matched by his love for fellow inmate Phillip Morris, prompting him to attempt daring escapes for love. In this improbable true story of crime, punishment, and passion, journalist Steve McVicker provides unprecedented access to Russell and those close to him, tracing his transformation from small-town businessman to flamboyant criminal and jailhouse Houdini. It’s a darkly comic tale of manipulation and vulnerability in the face of love.