A man convicted of attempted murder is on the run after using a picture of Eddie Murphy to escape from jail. Kevin Jerome Pullum used an ID card with a picture of Eddie Murphy to aid his escape from Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail on 6 July, authorities said.

Pullum was convicted - just hours before his escape - of shooting a man six times in 1999, and has two prior convictions. He was to return to court on 19 July for sentencing.Despite a major manhunt, his whereabouts are still unknown.Pullum was posing as a civilian, wearing a flowered shirt and light coloured trousers with the ID badge round his neck, when he made his escape. The prison's security cameras recorded Pullum nonchalantly walking out of a lift and through the main control area of the prison.

An informant in the jail told the police about the modified identification card. Pullum either made a new identification card or stole an employee's card and modified it, prison officials said. They do not believe anyone checked the badge or examined it particularly closely, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Pullum had represented himself in court, thus giving him access to office supplies, newspapers and photocopiers, and was allowed to wear civilian clothing to court, police said. Sheriff's deputy Faye Bugarin told ABC radio: "He was reissued his jail clothing. His civilian clothing should have been collected at that time, but apparently it wasn't. "The inmate managed to place his jail clothing over his civilian clothing before he was placed on the transportation bus."