Pre-orders taken by author Bruce E. Mowday for Cavalcante book

Schiffer Publishing schedules February 28, 2025 release

August 27th, 2024

August 26, 2024

First year anniversary of escape of murderer Danilo Cavalcante

coincides with production of author Bruce E. Mowday’s book

A Killer at the Door by Schiffer Publishing

Signed, first edition, first printing copies can be reserved by contacting Mowday

           On Thursday morning, August 31, 2023, a diminutive murderer from Brazil escaped Chester County Prison by crab-walking the walls of the prison.  For almost two weeks, neighbors in Chester County communities were terrorized as more than 400 law enforcement officials scoured the fields, forests and underbrush of the picturesque county searching for Danilo Cavalcante.

Schiffer Publishing of Atglen, Pennsylvania, is completing the publication of author Bruce E. Mowday’s book A Killer at the Door: The Dramatic Prison Break and Manhunt for Convicted Murderer Danilo Cavalcante. The book is scheduled for a February 28, 2025, release.

Mowday, a former newspaper reporter, contacted more than 80 people for the book and conducted more than 40 formal interviews. Mowday has written three other true crime books connected to his reporting on the infamous Chester County Johnston brothers. The Johnston burglary gang murdered at least six people.

To secure a signed first edition, first printing copy of A Killer at the Door: The Dramatic Prison Break and Manhunt for Convicted Murderer Danilo Cavalcante contact Mowday at mowday@mowday.com. The list price is $24.99.

Cavalcante’s dramatic capture involved drones, K-9 units and thermal imaging. During his escape, Cavalcante broke into neighbors’ homes, stole a rifle and was shot at by one county resident. Cavalcante had been convicted of stabbing to death a woman in front of her two and wanted in connection with a murder in Brazil. While on the loose, the search for Cavalcante was reported in countries across the world.

The lives of residents were threatened and disrupted for two weeks as schools were closed, roads blocked and area businesses, including Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Museum of Art closed. Residents were traumatized and some continue to experience post-traumatic stress. The cost of the escape has been estimated to be more than $15 million.

“This book has so many layers,” Mowday said. “First, you had the fear instilled in the community as a murderer was loose in their community. Law enforcement officers spent many hours searching for Cavalcante. The operation was impressive as related to me by members of the U.S. Marshals, FBI, Chester County Detectives and members of the local police departments. And, the book recounts the defects of Chester County government in protecting and then alerting the citizens of the county to the dangerous killer in its midst.”

Schiffer publishing publicized:

The gripping true story of murderer Danilo Cavalcante’s daring prison escape and intense manhunt in Chester County, PA in summer 2023.

In summer 2023, Chester County, Pennsylvania, was shaken by the daring escape of convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante.

Using a “crab-walking” method, Cavalcante scaled a prison wall, sparking a gripping two-week manhunt. He traversed forests, farmlands, and neighborhoods, evading law enforcement and causing schools to close, businesses to shutter, and streets to empty.

The pursuit showcased his survival skills and the relentless efforts of authorities using drones, thermal imaging, K-9 units, and traditional tracking.

The saga ended in a dramatic capture, emphasizing the thin line between freedom and confinement.

Chester County resident and award-winning journalist Bruce Mowday recounts the escape and search, drawing on firsthand accounts from residents, law enforcement, officials, and local reporters.

To contact Schiffer Publishing, see www.schifferbooks.com. Pre-orders, but not signed copies, are available from Schiffer, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

For more information on Mowday, see www.mowday.com. His true crime books include Jailing the Johnston Gang: Bringing Serial Murderers to Justice, Stealing Wyeth and Small-Town Cops in the Crosshairs: The 1972 Sniper Slayings of Policemen William Davis and Richard Posey. Small-Town Cops was also published by Schiffer. Signed copies of his true crime, history, sports and business books are also available by contacting Mowday.