Jeffrey Manchester

Jeffrey Allen Manchester (born 1971) is an American convicted spree-robber and former United States Army Reserve soldier known as the 'Rooftop Robber' or simply 'Roofman' due to his ''modus operandi'' of breaking into his targets (most commonly McDonald's locations) by drilling through their roofs. Before being apprehended for the second time in 2005 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Manchester used the alias John Zorn from June 2004 to January 2005.

Early life

Manchester attended high school in Rancho Cordova, California, before enlisting in the US Army. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division, where he learned rappelling, weapons handling, and other skills he would use during his robberies. He married at age 20, but divorced in 1999 while serving at Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Crime spree

Beginning in November 1998, Manchester began robbing chiefly McDonald's locations across the United States. His ''modus operandi'' consisted of meticulous planning and observation before drilling, hacking, or sawing through the roof of the target building during the night or early morning hours, and waiting, often in a restroom, for the morning shift workers to arrive. Once Manchester believed normal activities had begun, he would storm out of the bathroom carrying a firearm and hold up employees before ushering them into the walk-in refrigerator, locking them inside while he robbed the cash registers.

Throughout his robberies, Manchester would maintain a very gentle and cordial demeanor, rarely resorting to violence throughout his estimated 40–60 robberies across the country, with some victims stating he had suggested donning a coat before entering the freezer.

Initial capture and incarceration

After two years, Manchester was apprehended by North Carolina police officials on May 20, 2000, after robbing two McDonald's on the same day, wielding a .22 caliber rifle. After a silent alarm was triggered by an employee at the second location, police began searching for the robber. Manchester, who had earlier parked his car in a church parking lot, was spotted coming out of nearby woods to get to his vehicle by a police officer and was later apprehended after fleeing back into the woods.

During interrogation, Manchester confessed to the robberies and attempted to convince officers he was inspired by another robber he had heard about, though they suspected that Manchester had committed all the crimes committed by the Roofman. Eventually, he was convicted of the two May 20 robberies committed and sentenced to 45 years in prison. Manchester was transferred from several North Carolina prisons before being sent to Brown Creek Correctional Institution in Polkton.

Escape

While incarcerated at Brown Creek, Manchester worked in the prison's metal shop, attempting to use his position to devise an escape plan over the four years he would be in the facility. After observing trucks coming in and out of the prison, Manchester crafted a plywood platform, which he spray-painted black, along with some cardboard. On June 15, 2004, he hid in an outgoing truck's undercarriage, using the plywood platform and cardboard to conceal his body should gate guards inspect the truck. Following his escape, Manchester hitchhiked to Charlotte.

Toys "R" Us robbery and recapture

Upon reaching Charlotte, Manchester lived in a Charlotte Toys "R" Us store, staying in backrooms and other areas inside, surviving on kids' snacks and baby food, and exercising during the night when the store was closed by riding a bike throughout the store aisles. During the holiday rush of December 2004, Manchester moved his living quarters to an abandoned Circuit City next-door to avoid detection, creating a room under a stairwell where he painted the walls, put up posters, and passed the time watching movies during the day.

Between June and January of the following year, Manchester devised an elaborate plan to take over and rob the Toys "R" Us store in his biggest robbery to date. He set up an extensive surveillance system throughout the store using baby monitors and subtly adjusted employee schedules to accommodate his plans. As time passed, he came under increasing suspicion as employees noticed numerous missing items, which they attributed to Manchester's residence, making his plans more exigent.

During his time in Charlotte, Manchester became a member of the community, biding his time until the robbery, even dating a local woman, Leigh Wainscott, and joining the Crossroads Presbyterian Church. He spent a large amount of his time with Wainscott and her kids, bringing them toys he had pilfered from the store where he lived, and covering his seeming unemployment and homelessness with secretive whispers about a highly confidential government job, claiming his quarters were in a restricted office building.

Before committing the Toys "R" Us robbery, Manchester burned down a Charlotte dentist's office where he had gotten work on his teeth done during his time there. He reportedly robbed a pawn shop to acquire a gun in preparation for the robbery. On the morning of December 26, Manchester robbed the Toys "R" Us, taking an unknown amount of cash before being forced to flee after two employees were able to slip out of the store to get law enforcement, leading to police discovery of Manchester's secret lodgings in Circuit City and discovering the only fingerprint in the room, which was coincidentally on a DVD of ''Catch Me If You Can'' (2002).

Despite having committed the robbery, Manchester did not leave Charlotte. After informing Wainscott of Manchester's true identity, whom she believed to be a man named "John Zorn", the police convinced Wainscott to call Manchester to her home on January 5, 2005, and recaptured him upon arrival.

Following his January recapture, a December trial found Manchester guilty of numerous charges relating to his Charlotte crimes. He was sentenced to forty years in prison. He is currently serving his sentence at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, after originally serving at Marion Correctional Institute in McDowell County, North Carolina. Manchester attempted more prison escapes in 2009 and 2017. His current expected release date is December 4, 2036.

Legacy

He will be portrayed by Channing Tatum in the upcoming 2025 film, ''Roofman''. The film is based on his time in hiding at Toys "R" Us.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manchester, Jeffrey
Living people
American people convicted of robbery
American escapees
1971 births
People from Sacramento, California
Prisoners and detainees of North Carolina
American people convicted of kidnapping