UPDATE:  Authorities closed in on the couple late yesterday in Springerville, Arizona near the Mexico border.  They were found at a campsite when a ranger came across the couple in the woods.  McCluskey and Welsh were armed, but didn’t have a chance to use their weapons. 

U.S. Marshals are still on the hunt for a dangerous prison escapee and his fiancée, who is also his first cousin. Investigators are aggressively tracking John McCluskey, 45, and Casslyn Welsh, 44, as tips pour in from across the country with sightings of the couple. When I spoke to Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Rich Tracey, he wanted the public to know the U.S. Marshals have the ability to follow up with leads anywhere in the country very quickly, and alerts have been sent out to the borders as well. Tracey adds, “These folks are leaving devastation in their wake, it’s time for this to come to a close.”

Casslyn Welsh (new U.S. Marshal photo)

The Marshals released new information this week on the duo saying  McCluskey is missing his left incisor tooth and Welsh is missing most of her right index finger.  Welsh is a smoker, and it is very obvious when she is holding cigarettes because she is right handed.   The last known sighting of the couple was August 6 in Billings, Montana.

The case began on July 30 when McCluskey, Tracy Province, 42, and Daniel Renwick, 36, broke out of a medium-security facility in Arizona. Authorities say McCluskey’s fiancée Casslyn Welsh tossed tools over the security fence to make the break out a breeze. An official who is affiliated with the facility told me the escapees made their exit by cutting a hole through a fence and helping each other along. Authorities captured Renwick only two days after the breakout when he allegedly shot at police in Colorado.

Renwick was serving a 22-year sentence for second degree murder. Thomas Henman, Supervisory Deputy with the United States Marshals Service said the suspects allegedly hijacked an 18-wheeler after their escape and landed somewhere in Flagstaff, Arizona. At some point McCluskey’s ex-wife assisted with their journey on the lam.

Province was picked up last week in Montana where he was working as a grass cutter at a local church. Investigators believe McCluskey, Province and Welsh made their way to a Santa Rosa, New Mexico campground 10 days ago after a couple’s charred remains were found in their camper. Investigators say Linda and Gary Haas, both 61, were burned to death inside their trailer. The forensics at the scene links McCluskey and Province to the murders. The victims’ vehicle was stolen and found 100 miles away from the crime scene abandoned in Albuquerque.

Authorities are also looking into an incident in Gentry, Arkansas where a beauty salon was robbed. The suspects may have resembled the robbers, and the fact that Welsh has family in the area was a red flag for investigators. At this point, the Marshals cannot say one way or another if the couple was responsible. The large portion of their efforts are focused on Montana and the Canadian border.

John McCluskey missing tooth (new U.S. Marshal photo)

McCluskey’s mother, Claudia Washburn, 68, who is also Welsh’s aunt, was arrested for helping her son and her niece evade authorities. As for Welsh, she has not been officially charged, but Henman assures the public that there is a case being built against her for not only assisting with the escape, but also purchasing weapons to give to the suspects. McCluskey was serving a 15-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharge of a firearm.

Additional case information: Investigators have also developed information that McCluskey was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood gang in prison. Henman says the gang is a “very violent prison gang… and it is a white supremacist gang.” Province was also a known associate of the group.

CLUE: Authorities believe the couple could be traveling in a tan, gold or gray 1997 Nissan Sentra.  Both suspects are experienced semi-truck drivers and may be visiting truck stops while on the run.  

Casslyn Welsh (new U.S. Marshal photo)

If you have any information on their whereabouts, please contact the U.S. Marshals immediately.