Man who escaped from Oregon hospital while chained and had to be rescued from muddy pond sentenced

PORTLAND, Ore. — A man who escaped from the Oregon State Mental Hospital while fully chained and was later found wading in a muddy pond has been sentenced to 22 years in prison .

The Multnomah County Prosecutor's Office announced it has reached a plea agreement with Christopher Pray, who pleaded guilty Monday to charges of attempted murder, manslaughter, robbery and assault in separate incidents. He was sentenced to a total of 22 years in prison for incidents that occurred between 2022 and 2024.

Pray's defense attorney did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Last August, Pray escaped from the Oregon State Hospital in Salem. Secured with leg chains, a belly chain and handcuffs, Pray got into the driver's seat of a van he was being transported in when the driver was outside the vehicle and drove away, police said .

The next day, authorities rescued him from a muddy pond in Portland and took him back into custody.

A subsequent federal investigation found that the hospital failed to adequately supervise and transport him.