Roofman Biography: Age, Net Worth, Parents, Wife, Siblings, Crimes, Prison Escape, Nationality
Jeffrey Allen Manchester, widely known by the moniker “Roofman,” is an American convicted spree robber and former United States Army Reserve sergeant.
He gained national notoriety in the late 1990s and early 2000s for a string of fast-food restaurant robberies executed by cutting through building roofs and dropping inside.
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His 2004 escape from a North Carolina prison and subsequent months hiding in plain sight inside a Charlotte Toys “R” Us captured public imagination, later inspiring the 2025 feature film Roofman.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Jeffrey Allen Manchester |
| Stage Name: | Roofman |
| Born: | November 12, 1971 (age 54 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Sacramento, California, USA |
| Nationality: | American |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Manchester |
| Siblings: | 2 |
| Spouse: | Married (m.?—1998) |
| Occupation: | Criminal (Former U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant and paratrooper) |
Early Life and Education
Roofman first saw the light of day on November 12, 1971, in Sacramento, California, to parents referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Manchester.
He grew up in the Sacramento area and attended high school in Rancho Cordova, California, before enlisting in the United States Army.
He has a brother and a sister, and details regarding their identities have not been publicly disclosed.
Following his enlistment, he served in the 82nd Airborne Division, where he received extensive military training in tactical operations, rappelling, breaching techniques, weapons handling, and specialized structural entry as a paratrooper and sergeant. He is of Caucasian ethnicity, and his religion is Christianity.
Career
Roofman began his criminal career in November 1998 while still serving as a sergeant in the United States Army Reserve at a unit in Concord, California.
His modus operandi involved meticulous surveillance of target locations before drilling, sawing, or hacking through rooftops during the night, waiting inside until morning shift workers arrived, and then emerging armed to hold up employees.
He would force staff to open safes, usher them into walk-in freezers, and frequently apologized during the robberies, occasionally suggesting victims put on their jackets before being locked inside.
Between November 1998 and May 2000, he robbed more than 40 fast-food restaurants and retail stores across nine states, predominantly McDonald’s locations, earning him the nickname “Roofman” or “Rooftop Robber.”
His crime spree ended on May 20, 2000, when he robbed two McDonald’s restaurants in Gaston County, North Carolina, within five hours.
A silent alarm triggered by an employee during the second robbery led to his arrest. He was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to 32 to 45 years in prison.
On June 15, 2004, Manchester escaped from the Brown Creek Correctional Institution in Anson County by clinging to the undercarriage of a truck leaving the prison’s metal plant, where he had worked making bedframes and lockers.
He made his way to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he adopted the alias John Zorn, hid in an abandoned Circuit City store, and regularly accessed an adjacent Toys “R” Us through a hole he had bored into the wall.
During his months as a fugitive, Manchester attended Crossroads Church in Charlotte, where he met Leigh Wainscott, a single mother, in November 2004. The two began dating, and she knew him only as John Zorn.
On December 26, 2004, he broke his oath never to rob again by holding up the Toys “R” Us at gunpoint. Law enforcement closed in, and on January 5, 2005—Wainscott‘s 40th birthday—police informed her of his true identity and enlisted her help in setting a trap.
Manchester was captured and returned to prison, where he received an additional sentence of upwards of 40 years. He is currently incarcerated at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Personal Life
Roofman was married at the age of 20 while serving in the military, and the couple had children together before divorcing in 1998.
The exact number and names of his children have not been publicly disclosed in order to protect their privacy and security.
Following his divorce, he was romantically involved with Leigh Wainscott, a single mother from Charlotte, North Carolina, from approximately November 2004 to January 2005, during which time she was unaware of his true identity as an escaped convict. He has never remarried and is currently single.
Net Worth
Roofman has no publicly known net worth, due to his criminal convictions.
Prior to his arrest, he earned a steady income as a sergeant in the United States Army Reserve, where he trained reservists and received a military salary.
Any assets he may have accumulated were likely depleted through legal proceedings, restitution, and his absence from the workforce for over two decades.
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