Channing Tatum stars in the new film Roofman, playing Jeffrey Manchester, an army veteran and escaped convict who evaded capture by living in a Toys R Us store. The film, directed by Derek Cianfrance, dramatises Manchester's crime spree from 1998 to 2005, during which he robbed more than 40 McDonald's restaurants by drilling through roofs.
The story begins with a robbery in Belmont, North Carolina, in 2000. Manchester carved a hole in the roof, held up staff with a pistol, and locked them in a fridge. He apologised, saying, 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You're the good people. I'm the bad guy.' Staff later escaped and called police, leading to Manchester's arrest. He confessed, saying he robbed to pay bills and support his three children.
Manchester was sentenced to 45 years in prison but escaped in 2004 by stowing away under a truck. He entered a Toys R Us store in Charlotte, hid in the rafters via the toilet, and created a den behind a bicycle display, surviving on baby food and M&Ms. Months later, he ventured out, assumed the alias 'John Zorn', attended a Presbyterian church, and began dating Leigh Moore.
On 26 December 2004, Manchester tried to rob the same Toys R Us but was discovered by employees. Police found a second hideout in an adjacent Circuit City store. His downfall came after watching Catch Me If You Can and leaving his fingerprint on the DVD. Moore discovered his identity in January 2005, and police arrested him while he visited her.
Manchester received a 40-year sentence and is due for release in 2036. Moore now speaks with him regularly, telling The Guardian, 'He is a good person; he just made some bad decisions.' Roofman is in US cinemas now and opens in the UK on 17 October.
