Escaped Idaho white supremacist and the friend who busted him out of prison appear in new mugshots 36 hours after they shot three corrections officers and went on the lam

The Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office released the new mugshots of Nicholas Umphenour and Skylar Meade, two white supremacists who were arrested 36 hours after shooting three corrections officers in a desperate attempt to escape an Idaho prison.

Both men wore stony and defiant expressions while posing for their mugshots. Meade's face was covered with tattoos and possible Aryan Knight insignia. Umphenour's low collar revealed several tattoos on his neck.

It appeared that the men might have slightly altered their appearances after going on the lam. Umphenour looked like he had shaved his beard, sporting close-cropped facial hair. 

The two white supremacists are now being investigated for two murders carried out within hours of them escaping custody on Wednesday morning. 

Umphenour (left) is alleged to have shot three Idaho corrections officers as they were preparing to return Meade (right) to prison from a hospital

The gunman opened fire on prisoner officers who had taken Skylar Meade, seen here, to St Alphonse hospital in Boise, Idaho, for treatment early on Wednesday morning

 Nicholas Umphenour was arrested alongside Meade and charged with assisting his escape

Umphenour allegedly burst into St Alphonse hospital in Boise, Idaho, where Meade, 31, was being treated under armed supervision, and shot three correction officers.

The pair fled but Meade and Umphenour were arrested after a car chase at 2pm on Thursday afternoon in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Boise Police Department said it is now investigating two separate homicides, one in Nez Perce County and another in Clearwater County potentially connected to the pair, who are both members of the Aryan Knights.

Officers said pair had ditched their get away vehicle and were driving a vehicle that belonged to one of the homicide victims, and that handcuffs worn by Meade when he escaped were found at the scene of one of the killings.

'What we know, with near certainty, this was not an accident,' said Josh Tewalt of the Corrections Department. 

'This was a planned event. And we’re channeling every resource we have into trying to understand exactly how they went about planning it.'

As prison staff were preparing to return Meade to jail early Wednesday morning, a suspect began shooting at officers, striking two of them.

Boise police responded to the incident and one officer fired at an armed person near the entrance, who was later determined to be a corrections officer. 

One officer is in a critical but stable condition, another has serious but non-life-threatening injuries and the third was not seriously injured when mistakenly shot by an arriving Boise police officer, a spokesperson said.

This photo provided by Idaho Department of Corrections shows Skylar Mead in a prison mugshot

Meade 'engaged in self-injurious behavior' on Tuesday night, and prison medical staff determined he needed to be taken to hospital for treatment, Idaho State Police said

According to Boise police, a preliminary investigation indicates that Meade made his escape in a grey four-door sedan and fled the area just before officers arrived. 

Idaho State Police said that vehicle, a 2020 Honda Civic, was later found near Leland, Idaho, south of Kendrick.

Meade has been serving time in prison for aggravated battery on a Twin Falls officer and was convicted in 2016 and was set to be released in 2036, according to KMVT.

He 'engaged in self-injurious behavior' on Tuesday night, and prison medical staff determined he needed to be taken to hospital for treatment, Idaho State Police said.

He has has prior convictions including felony possession of a controlled substance, grand theft, and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility. 

He has been incarcerated since October 2016 and his most recent sentence was set to end October 2036. 

Umphenour was imprisoned from December 2020 to January 2024 at the same Idaho Max Security institution in which Meade was serving his sentence, at times sharing the same housing unit, Tewalt said. 

Chief Ron Winegar said in a statement: 'This brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel, to facilitate an escape of a dangerous inmate, was carried out right in front of the Emergency Department, where people come for medical help, often in the direst circumstances. 

'When BPD officers responded, they believed the shooter was inside the Emergency Department. 

Officers from Boise Police Department told a press conference this afternoon they fear the white supremacists may have committed two murders in their hours on the run 

A Saint Alphonsus spokesperson said the shooting happened in the ambulance bay by its emergency department

A police vehicle is parked outside Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024

The 2020 Honda Civic, in which the pair escaped was later found near Leland, Idaho, south of Kendrick

'They immediately entered to address any potential continued threat to Emergency Room staff. 

'I am grateful this harrowing incident did not result in loss of life, and we are monitoring the wounded IDOC officers with great hope for a full and speedy recovery of all involved.

'They are armed, dangerous, and have shown they are willing to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity.' 

A Saint Alphonsus spokesperson said the shooting happened in the ambulance bay by its emergency department.

'All patients and staff are safe, the medical center campus is safe and secure, and has resumed normal operations. 

'The Emergency Department itself is currently under temporary lockdown while the Boise Police Department completes the investigation,' Leticia Ramirez said.

She said as an added precaution 'we have increased security on campus, all entrances to the hospital will be closed' and monitored by hospital security until further notice.