Free Republic

MONACO Jan. 22 — An American male nurse convicted in the arson death of billionaire banker Edmond Safra escaped from prison overnight, police said Wednesday.Ted Maher, originally of Auburn, Maine, was convicted of arson in a 1999 fire in Monaco that also killed one of Safra's other nurses, Vivian Torrente.Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.

Wed Jan 22, 7:38 AM ET French police on January 22, 2003 recaptured an American male nurse who escaped from a Monaco prison where he was serving a 10-year sentence for starting the fire that killed billionaire banker Edmond Safra. Ted Maher, shown in this November 28 2002 file photo, escaped overnight from the Monaco jail with another prisoner by sawing through the bars of their cell. Police sources said Maher had holed himself up in a hotel in Nice but was traced after making a string of telephone calls to people to explain himself concerning the death of...