Ameen Hurst: Former escaped Philadelphia inmate sentenced
PHILADELPHIA - Ameen Hurst, a Philadelphia inmate who previously escaped and sparked a 10-day manhunt, was sentenced for his role in four deadly shootings.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Angelo announced that Hurst will serve a 55-110 year prison sentence for the murderous series of crimes. Angelo made the announcement while flanked by other members of the prosecutors' office and family members who each spoke briefly about their slain loved one.
Hurst's deadly rap sheet dates back to Christmas Eve 2020, when investigators believe he fatally shot Dyewou Nyshawn Scruggs at a property on the 1800 block of Wynnewood Road. The following March, authorities believe Hurst opened fire on four people in a Philadelphia parking lot, killing 2 and leaving 2 others injured.
About a week later, Hurst is accused of fatally shooting Rodney Hargrove as he waited for SEPTA bus after posting bail at Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility. Investigators believe Hurst was inside a car that chased Hargrove back onto prison grounds through an open gate where he was shot to death.
"We may have lost on March 18th, but today we gained justice," Hargrove's cousin said at Thursday's press conference.
Hurst and a fellow inmate, Nasir Grant, managed to escape custody in May 2023 while they were incarcerated at Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center. The pair had help when investigators say they snuck out of their cell block and used linens to cover a barbed wire fence that they catapulted over to freedom.
Grant was dressed in "full female Muslim garb and a head covering" when he was arrested days later by U.S. Marshals in North Philadelphia. That same day, authorities charged two alleged accomplices, including an inmate who played lookout for the pair during their escape.
Hurst missed all three deadlines to surrender and was arrested after 10 days on the run while he was leaving a home in Southwest Philadelphia. His bail was set at $25M by a Philadelphia judge, but the outstanding murder charges kept him behind bars.