The former Chester County Prison warden retired the day before a convicted murderer escaped, officials said

The prison that a convicted murderer escaped from Thursday in Chester County is being run by an interim warden whose predecessor retired the day before the escape, county officials said Friday.

Danelo Cavalcante, 34, is the subject of a massive manhunt in the county by local, state and federal authorities. Cavalcante was convicted of first-degree murder Aug. 16 for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death, and was awaiting transfer to a state correctional facility to begin serving his life sentence when he slipped past guards early Thursday, according to District Attorney Deborah Ryan.

“We will not stop until he is in custody,” Ryan said Friday.

Cavalcante also has an active warrant in his native Brazil for a 2017 murder, in which he’s accused of killing a man who owed him money, prosecutors said.

» READ MORE: What we know about Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Chester County Prison

Acting Warden Howard Holland declined Thursday to answer questions about how Cavalcante escaped, saying the matter was being investigated. Holland, the former chief of police in Downingtown, has overseen the jail since July 28, when Ronald Phillips was placed on administrative leave, according to Rebecca Brain, a spokesperson for the county commissioners.

Phillips, who served as warden since October 2020 after decades as a deputy warden, filed his retirement paperwork at the county prison board’s regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday afternoon, Brain said.

She could not comment on why Phillips was placed on leave, nor say if he provided a reason for his retirement, describing both as personnel matters.

Prior to being appointed acting warden, Holland had served as a special liaison to the county prison board since April, according to a resume posted online.

» READ MORE: A convicted murderer escaped from the Chester County Prison early Thursday, police say

The 1,100-inmate facility is located in Pocopson Township, a rural suburb about seven miles southwest of West Chester, the county seat. With a population of a little less than 5,000, the township is dotted by rolling hills, farmhouses, and lush greenery. It also has a broad historical context, having served as a central location for the Battle of Brandywine during the American Revolution.

In the search for Cavalcante, investigators said Pennsylvania State Police troopers and U.S. Marshals have fanned out across a six-mile radius from the prison, employing helicopters and other resources to look for him in heavily wooded areas.

The agencies are paying special attention to railroads and the Brandywine Creek, which, they said, could be potential avenues for Cavalcante to leave Chester County.

In an update Friday afternoon, Ryan said that there was no indication that Cavalcante had left the area, but that investigators believe his ultimate goal is to head south. She urged residents to be vigilant during the forthcoming Labor Day weekend, and said to especially take stock of cars, bicycles, and other means of transportation at their homes.

Brazilian authorities have been notified of Cavalcante’s escape, but it is up to them to decide if they will pursue their active warrant for his arrest, according to Robert Clark, a supervisory special agent for the U.S. Marshals.

A joint, $10,000 reward is being offered by state police and the marshals for information leading to Cavalcante’s arrest. As they search for the fugitive, they are warning residents to stay away from him and call 911 if he is spotted. As of Friday afternoon, more than 100 tips had been submitted, investigators said.

Cavalcante, who has a sister and friends living in the Phoenixville area, is likely desperate for help and seeking out those associates, according to Bill Latorre, a retired Pennsylvania State Police sergeant and security consultant who is not involved in the search for Cavalcante.

“In this particular case, if he didn’t have outside help, he’s pretty much winging it,” said Latorre, who worked on similar cases during his tenure with the state police. “He didn’t escape from the prison with a cell phone, so he’s going to need to somehow borrow or steal means of communication and reach out to whoever can help.”

In her Friday update, Ryan said that there was no evidence that Cavalcante had assistance during his breakout.

Cavalcante has a history of attempting to elude law enforcement. He came to the United States after the 2017 murder in Brazil by first traveling to Puerto Rico and obtaining a fake ID, prosecutors said.

And after he killed his ex-girlfriend, Deborah Brandao, outside of her Schuylkill Township home in 2021, he relied on two friends to help him flee the county, according to evidence provided during his August trial. He was arrested in Virginia hours later, when a state trooper there recognized his car from a description distributed by county detectives. At the time, Ryan said, he was heading to Mexico, and from there planned to disappear back into Brazil.

Brandao’s children and other relatives are safe, Ryan said. Her office believes that Cavalcante is prioritizing his escape from the area, and he does not intend to try to locate them.