Death-row escapee caught
The week's news at a glance.
Shreveport, La.
A double murderer escaped from death row in Texas last week by putting on civilian clothes and walking past guards. Charles Victor Thompson was captured three days later in neighboring Louisiana, while making a phone call outside a liquor store. His escape caused major embarrassment for Houston prison officials, who admitted it was the result of “100 percent human error.” Thompson, 35, escaped after meeting with an accomplice he claimed was a lawyer. After the meeting, Thompson changed out of his prison jumpsuit into khaki pants and a blue shirt. He then strolled out of the meeting room past four prison employees and out into the street.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Normalising relations with the Taliban in AfghanistanThe Explainer The regime is coming in from the diplomatic cold, as countries lose hope of armed opposition and seek cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and deportation of immigrants
-
Best poetry books of 2025The Week Recommends Magnificent collections from Luke Kennard, Leo Boix and Isabelle Baafi
-
‘Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right’ by Laura K. Field and ‘The Dream Factory: London’s First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare’ by Daniel SwiftFeature An insider’s POV on the GOP and the untold story of Shakespeare’s first theater