Watch the Stern Show Try to Wall Climb Like the Pennsylvania Fugitive Did to Escape Prison

All eyes were on Pennsylvania this week as the manhunt continued for convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante, who eluded authorities for quite some time after breaking out of prison in the most remarkable of ways. “This guy got out of prison by shimmying up two walls. He actually got himself horizontal and climbed up backwards – and I thought it was incredible,” Howard said Wednesday morning after announcing Cavalcante had finally been captured.

The prison escape was so impressive that Howard needed to know if anyone on his own staff could pull it off, so Gary Dell’Abate, JD Harmeyer, Memet Walker, and Mike Trainor entered the studio in helmets and kneepads to give it a go.

“I would be shocked if any of you, honestly, could do this,” Howard said.

Memet was cocky from the start. “Let’s be frank, these three shouldn’t even be attempting this. These are three older, fat guys,” he said of Gary, JD, and Mike. “I’m the only one who can reasonably be expected to pull this off.”

Not everyone believed Memet was as fit as he claimed. “Show me your belly,” Gary told him.

“I didn’t say I have abs, but it’s a flat stomach,” Memet insisted before giving his co-workers a look at his “naturally smooth” abdomen.

“He sucked it in!” exclaimed JD, who went out to the hallway with Derek Jones to attempt the challenge first. JD fell after getting just one foot on the wall. Gary went next and fared better than JD, even getting horizontal at one point, but he too fell to the ground.

“On his brand-new knees!” co-host Robin Quivers winced.

Trainor, going third, gave a valiant effort, but he didn’t make it all the way to the ceiling.

Memet was the last to go, but first he offered several caveats. “What I’m about to attempt is even more difficult than what the prisoner did,” he said, complaining about slippery walls, heavy equipment, and the prisoner’s “perfect” shoes. Memet then fired a shot at his executive producer. “I’m going to pretend I’m at Gary’s vinyl party and the only way out is to climb up the wall,” he laughed.

Memet’s first attempt didn’t go well. “There’s grease on the wall!” he complained, adding, “I’m never going to be in prison. This isn’t a skill I need to have.”

He tried two more times, making it farther than before. “He’s trying to fuck the mattress,” Gary laughed.

But Memet was pleased. “Once again you all doubted me and I proved to be correct,” he said. “And I won.”

“You won? No, you didn’t,” Derek responded. “The guards are already here. You were pulled back to your cell. You ran out of time.”