Old, Sick Fugitive Turns Self In To Kentucky Sheriff

Apr 23, 2015 05:31 AM EDT

(Photo : www.capitalbay.com) Old fugitive Clarence David Moore being "arrested" by the sheriff after turning himself in.

Was he really sorry for his crimes or was he looking for free medical care? The motives why 66-year-old Clarence David Moore turned himself in after 40 years on the lam could possibly be questioned.

Since he successfully was able to lead a hidden life with even the woman he was living with unaware of his past life, Moore could have remained hidden from law until his last days.

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On Wednesday, Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton came to his house to arrest Moore in response to the wanted man's call on Monday. The sheriff said that the fugitive looked 90 and was in a hospital bed.

Because of a stroke, Moore had difficulty talking. The lack of legal identity documents such as Social Security number prevented him from getting proper medical care.

He was a far cry from how he was in the 1970s when he was strong enough to escape three times from authorities until Moore decided to settle down to a more quiet life in Kentucky in 2009.

He was first convicted in 1967 in North Carolina for larceny of over $200 for stealing two television sets and sentenced to seven years prison terms. Moore escaped in Asheville where he was assigned as road crew. He was caught again in 1971 and escaped in 1972. He was recaptured in 1975 in Texas and escaped after one year from the Henderson County jail.

He worked in boats for many years and then settled down in Frankfort.

To avoid detection, Moore used the name Ronnie T. Dickinson as well as several aliases. But even in Kentucky, he still had brushes with the law such as being involved in a vehicular accident and lacking a driver's license.

With his frail condition, it was an ambulance that picked up Moore from his house where he was first brought to a local hospital for evaluation and then sent to jail.

The sheriff said that Moore started to cry when he saw them and told him, "I just want to get this behind me. I want to be done," quotes Associated Press.

Melton acknowledged the many bad choices that Moore made, but praised the old man for correcting his mistakes and owning them. He also noted that Moore's motivation in turning himself in was to get medical help, reports Daily Mail.