Two members of an Idaho white supremacist prison gang, Skylar Meade and Nicholas Umphenour, are due in court for a preliminary hearing along with Tia Garcia, who is accused of providing a vehicle they used during their escape. Umphenour opened fire on corrections officers transporting Meade from the hospital last month and faces additional charges of aggravated battery and using a deadly weapon. Meade and Umphenour are also suspected in the deaths of two men in Clearwater and Nez Perce counties. The victims have been identified as James L. Mauney and Gerald Don Henderson, with Henderson having taken in Umphenour previously. Meade and Umphenour are members of the Aryan Knights white supremacist prison gang.
Meade, 31, was serving time for shooting at a sheriff’s sergeant during a chase, while Umphenour was released from prison in January after serving time for theft and gun convictions. Both were at times housed together in prison and had mutual friends in and out of prison. Meade had been held in solitary confinement because officials deemed him a security risk. The attack on corrections officers at the hospital resulted in two officers being wounded and a third being shot by responding police officers. All are expected to recover. Tonia Huber, who was driving the truck Meade was in when he was arrested, has been charged with harboring a fugitive, eluding police, and drug possession.
The escape and subsequent crimes committed by Meade and Umphenour have raised concerns about the influence of the Aryan Knights gang in Idaho’s penitentiary system. Federal prosecutors have described the gang as a “scourge” in the state. The violent nature of the escape, with Umphenour opening fire on officers, has further raised alarms about the danger posed by gang members. The case highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in dealing with white supremacist groups within the prison system.
The deaths of James L. Mauney and Gerald Don Henderson in Clearwater and Nez Perce counties have added to the severity of the charges against Meade and Umphenour. Mauney, 83, was reported missing when he failed to return from walking his dogs, while Henderson, 72, was found dead outside his remote cabin near Orofino. Henderson had previously taken in Umphenour when he was a teenager, and the two are believed to have stolen Mauney’s minivan to escape to the Twin Falls area. The connection between the escape and the homicides further complicates the legal proceedings against Meade and Umphenour.
The involvement of Tia Garcia, who is accused of falsely reporting her car stolen just after the attack, adds another layer to the case. Garcia provided the vehicle used during the escape, implicating her in the events that followed. The discovery of the stolen vehicle and Garcia’s false report likely played a role in the investigation that led to the arrest of Meade and Umphenour. The coordinated efforts of law enforcement in tracking down the fugitives demonstrate the commitment to holding individuals accountable for their actions, particularly in cases involving violent crimes and gang activity.
As the case proceeds to a preliminary hearing, the focus will be on determining the extent of the involvement of each party and the evidence against them. The preliminary hearing will provide an opportunity for the prosecution to present their case and for the defense to respond. The charges against Meade, Umphenour, and Garcia are serious, and the outcome of the hearing will have significant implications for their legal proceedings. The impact of the escape and the subsequent crimes on the victims and their families underscores the need for justice to be served in this case.
