The Rooftop Robber: The Wild Story of Jeffrey Manchester

The Polite Bandit with a Power Saw

In 1998, a bizarre crime spree began that would span nine states and baffle law enforcement. A man dubbed "Roofman" was targeting McDonald's restaurants with a unique method: he would cut a hole in the roof, drop in, and wait for the morning shift. When employees arrived, Jeffrey Manchester, a 28-year-old Army veteran, would emerge with a gun, but his demeanor was anything but typical. He would politely ask employees to get on the floor and, before locking them in the walk-in freezer, would courteously advise them to grab their jackets. His crime spree netted him over $100,000 before he was finally caught in North Carolina in May 2000 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

The Great Escape and the Toys "R" Us Hideout

Four years into his sentence at Brown Creek Correctional Institution in Polkton, NC, Jeffrey put his military skills to use again. On June 15, 2004, he escaped by hiding on a secret platform he built underneath a delivery truck. While authorities searched for him nationwide, Manchester was living a life of unbelievable stealth. He had moved into a Toys "R" Us in Charlotte, North Carolina, creating a secret apartment within the store's walls. For six months, he survived on baby food, rode bikes through the aisles at night for exercise, and even used baby monitors to keep tabs on the store's employees. When the toy store got too busy during the holidays, he tunneled into the vacant Circuit City next door.

A New Life and a Final Capture

While living his secret life, Manchester reinvented himself as John Zorn. He joined Crossroads Presbyterian Church, began dating a woman named Leigh Wainscott, and became a beloved member of the community, even donating stolen toys to a church charity drive. But his double life came crashing down after a failed robbery attempt at the Toys "R" Us on December 26, 2004. Police discovered his hideout, and his mugshot was broadcast on the news. On January 5, 2005, with the help of his devastated girlfriend, police set a trap and recaptured him. Jeffrey Manchester was sentenced to an additional 40 years, bringing one of the most audacious and bizarre crime stories in American history to a close.