A manhunt continued on Sunday for a homicide suspect who escaped from a Pennsylvania jail late on Thursday utilizing bedsheets he tied collectively to climb down from the roof, officers mentioned.

Pennsylvania State Police mentioned that Michael Burham, who escaped from the Warren County Jail, could possibly be hiding within the steep, rugged wilderness close to the town of Warren, which is about 20 miles south of Jamestown, N.Y.

Warren borders the Allegheny National Forest, which covers greater than half one million acres of rural Pennsylvania.

The police described Mr. Burham as a self-taught survivalist with navy expertise and mentioned that they’ve discovered stockpiles of provides in addition to camp websites that he could have used.

“It supports what we’ve said all along, that he’s prepared, as a survivalist in the past, and tried to be ready, if you will, to spend time in the woods,” mentioned Lt. Col. George Bivens, a deputy commissioner for the Pennsylvania State Police, throughout a news briefing Sunday afternoon.

Officials added that it’s potential that Mr. Burham has secured a firearm.

“Anyone in this situation becomes more desperate over time, and we plan to use that to our advantage,” Colonel Bivens mentioned. “He’s not going to be able to get a lot of rest. We’re going to push hard until we find him.”

Mr. Burham, 34, was held on $1 million bail for kidnapping, housebreaking and associated expenses and is a suspect in a murder investigation, Colonel Bivens mentioned.

Cecile Stelter, a Warren County spokeswoman, mentioned that Mr. Burham escaped the county jail by climbing on prime of train gear after which out a metallic gated roof. He then climbed from the roof utilizing bedsheets he had tied collectively.

Mr. Burham was arrested by the F.B.I. in May after a dayslong manhunt in addition to what the bureau described as a “spree of alleged crimes,” together with a sexual assault in Jamestown, N.Y., and the kidnapping of an older couple in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Burham was final seen sporting a denim jacket, an orange-striped jail jumpsuit and Crocs, however the police added that he probably had modified garments since then.

Colonel Bivens on Saturday mentioned that, even with searches going down by air, there have been many areas the place the police have needed to conduct their searches on foot.

“We ask the residents to be vigilant and report anything suspicious to us,” he mentioned on Sunday. “We’ve also asked them to secure their homes, their cars, their businesses and not allow him easy access to supplies or vehicles.”