Profile

Name: Gerald Lyle Hemp (Jerry Whittier, James Comstock, George Baker)
Aliases: Jerry Whittier, James Comstock, George Baker
Sex: Male
Race: White
Age Now: 69
Height: 5'8\"
Weight: 220 lbs.
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Brown\rPossibly receding and could now be all gray\rKnown to have a beard sometimes
Eyes (Color and Correction): Blue
Other Physical Characteristics: May grow beard;\rMay dye hair dark
Wanted for: Escape, West Palm Beach, FL; Jul 10, 1984

Locations

Last seen: West Palm Beach, FL
Possible location: Houston/Pasedena, TX Mexico Florida California West Palm Beach, FL
Last known: Palm Beach, FL

Traits

Talks a lot about himself
Smokes Benson & Hedges
Drinks Dewar's Scotch and water
Buys imported food
Eats in pricey resturants and tips big
Talks about CIA connections
Exersizes and diets to keep weight down
Shoots on gun and rifle ranges

Case Story

Gerald Hemp - Lifelong Criminal

Gerald Hemp is one of the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted. He escaped in 1984 from West Palm Beach prison where he was serving 40 years for masterminding an operation to smuggle drugs from Columbia to the U.S. Hemp is a lifelong criminal - in 1965 he was convicted on first degree robbery and sentenced to 5 years to life.  He served his time, but that didn't keep him from a life of crime. After his release from prison, authorities believe Hemp put all his energies into drug smuggling.  He operated a fleet of small planes which would transfer cocaine from Colombia to the United States.

Hemp's Accomplice Turns Up Dead

in 1981, US Customs agents tracked down one of Hemp's planes and found hundreds of pounds of cocaine inside.  The pilot, Leslie Kaegler, escaped before authorities could arrest him.  A short time later, however, Kaegler was found dead. While police have always suspected a connection between Hemp and Kaegler's death, they have not been able to prove anything.  But soon it would seem to be a moot point. The DEA was having more success in getting their hands on Hemp.  They raided a cabin Hemp owned in Tennessee and found 619 pounds of cocaine inside.  Hemp was arrested and sent to trial.  During the case, Hemp made a getaway, but was promptly apprehended.  Hemp was convicted and given 40 years in prison.  But Gerald Hemp had no intention of serving out his time.

Hemp Works from Prison

On July 1, 1984, police found the body of Dr. Robert Rixse.  Rixse was having an intimate relationship with the wife of one of Hemp's associates.  While Hemp has not been in connection Rixse's death, police do want to talk with him about it.  But they haven't had the opportunity.  Two weeks after the murder, Hemp was given a furlough to see a dentist, and just walked away.  No one has seen or heard from him since.