MILWAUKEE -- U.S. Marshals crunched the numbers for TODAY'S TMJ4 on how much it cost to find convicted killer Dwayne Chaney. Counting overtime and equipment, it cost about $21,000 taxpayer dollars.
Federal Marshals arrested Chaney on Milwaukee's northwest side late Monday night.
He was on the run for four days after police say he walked away from his trial and cut off his GPS monitoring system.
Police also arrested Chaney's girlfriend, who was found hiding under a porch.
Chaney has made a run for it in the past, eluding police for nearly two years before last week's trial even began.
Judge Carolina Stark told TODAY'S TMJ4 Chaney requested a speedy trial and was released on a signature bond with a GPS monitoring bracelet, when the state did not schedule the trial date within 90 days of his request.
We found under state statute 971.10 Speedy Trial (b): "If the court is unable to schedule a trial, the court shall request assignment of another judge."
District Attorney John Chisholm explained it is not always that easy in Milwaukee County.
"In this case you didn't have any other judge that was available?" asked Reporter Julia Fello. Chisholm replied, "To my understanding, no."
Chisholm argued there was another issue holding up the case: A key witness was not cooperating. The prosecutor asked for more time.
"I still believe the prosecutor made the right decision in asking for additional time, because without having done that we would not have secured the accountability the conviction," explained Chisholm.
Chisholm argued they only get one chance to try someone, and they wanted to get it right. This forced the judge to reconsider the conditions of Chaney's confinement.
A sentencing date for Chaney has not yet been set.
