Meade brought to Nez Perce County to face murder charge in death of Juliaetta man

Skylar Meade was transported to Nez Perce County today to face charges for the alleged murder of James L. Mauney, according to a news release from the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office. 

Meade had already pleaded guilty to planning and executing a prison break in Boise on March 20. After his escape, he and Nicholas Umphenour allegedly fled to north central Idaho, where the two men allegedly murdered the 83-year-old Mauney, of Juliaetta. On June 11, Meade and Umphenour were formally indicted in Nez Perce County for the murder of Mauney near Leland, Idaho.

Umphenour’s status wasn’t mentioned by law enforcement officials today.

Meade and Umphenour are also suspected in the death of Gerald Don Henderson, 72, who was found outside of his remote Clearwater County cabin near Orofino. No indictment has been made in that case.

Meade, who had been held in Ada County for his participation in the prison escape, is classified as a high-risk, high-threat prisoner, according to the news release.

The transport was managed by the Idaho State Police, with support from the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office and Ada County Sheriff’s Office, according to the news release. 

"Our primary objective was to ensure a safe and secure transport of the detainee," Major Matthew Smith of ISP Northern Command said in the news release.

Nez Perce County Prosecutor Justin Coleman expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts. 

“I want to thank all of the agencies involved; ISP, Ada and Nez Perce County Sheriff's Offices, and the Lewiston Police Department,” Coleman said in the news release. “Each worked hard and contributed significant amounts of time and manpower to guarantee there were no issues today. Now we can continue our work to hold him accountable for his crimes in our County.”

On July 19, Meade was sentenced to life in prison with a fixed term of 35 years on charges tied to escaping from custody and opening fire on correctional officers.