The true story behind Jeffrey Manchester's case in the Roofman movie

Roofman traces the real case of Jeffrey Allen Manchester, a former Army reservist better known as the Rooftop Robber. The film follows his pattern of fast-food heists, his prison escape, months of hiding inside retail spaces, and a final arrest tied to a sting set up through a new relationship.

Manchester’s story spans two main periods. First, there were dozens of restaurant robberies that used roof entries and freezer lock-ins. Years later, there was a high-profile escape, a secret life under an alias, and a holiday-season caper that unraveled in Charlotte. The movie pulls from both arcs and keeps key dates, places, and names intact.

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Early crimes that Roofman draws from

Beginning in the late 1990s, Manchester hit McDonald’s locations across several states. He entered through the roof, waited for the staff to start the day, then moved workers to the walk-in cooler before taking cash. Victims described a calm tone and apologies during the hold-ups.

According to SFGATE, investigators linked him to 40-plus robberies during that run, most in Northern California, with similar methods reported in Oregon, Nevada, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

In May 2000, while on Army Reserve duty in North Carolina, he robbed two restaurants in one night near Charlotte. Police captured him after the second job. A local jury later handed down a 45-year sentence tied to the pair of cases and related charges.

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Roofman case pivot: capture, sentence, escape

Prison did not end the story. In June 2004, Manchester slipped out of Brown Creek Correctional by clinging under a delivery truck, then made his way to Charlotte. He reportedly lived inside a Toys R Us and a shuttered Circuit City next door, using baby monitors for surveillance and a makeshift hideaway under a stairwell.

Scene from Roofman (YouTube/@paramountpictures)

Police say he planned a larger robbery for peak holiday traffic. On December 26, 2004, the Toys R Us takeover unfolded. Employees got out to call the police, and officers later found a concealed space with a fingerprint match to Manchester. The Charlotte Observer reported that he had been using the name John Zorn at a nearby church and was dating Leigh Wainscott.

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Inside the stores that Roofman recreates

The film’s retail sequences reflect what officers and reporters documented. Manchester tunneled between properties, watched schedules, and moved through the buildings after hours.

He also allegedly torched a dentist’s office before capture to destroy records, a fire investigators tied to his time in hiding. According to SFGATE, police linked him to a pawn shop gun theft as well, part of the setup for the attempted holiday heist.

The arrest came on January 5, 2005. Detectives asked Wainscott to arrange a meeting, then took him into custody outside her apartment, where he arrived with flowers. He surrendered without a fight. The Charlotte Observer reported that he later pleaded to a slate of Charlotte charges, adding decades to his time in prison.

Court records and agency statements place Manchester at Central Prison in Raleigh. He reportedly attempted to escape again in 2009 and 2017. SFGATE noted his projected release date as December 4, 2036.

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Roofman is out now in theatres worldwide.

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