LUMBERTON, N.C. (WNCN) -- A convicted murderer of a North Carolina teenage girl has made headlines twice in one day -- first for his guilty plea with a life sentence and now for two attempted escapes.

On Friday morning, just over six years after the kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Hania Aguilar, Michael McLellan entered a plea of guilty for first-degree murder. For that charge, as well as others related to two other victims, McLellan was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins confirmed that McLellan tried to escape before his sentencing and later after sentencing. In at least one of the attempts, McLellan used the handmade tool below as a makeshift key for his handcuffs.

"I think the whole day was an escape attempt for him," Wilkins said. "I think him coming and pleading guilty like he did, was a way to get out of that prison from behind those walls, and it gave him two opportunities to try to escape today. I listened to him speak to the family for just a few words, saying that he was he was sorry. I saw no sincerity in that at all."

Wilkins said the tool is a combination of materials from a prison's art workshop.

On the way back to Central Prison Wilkins said deputies again detected movement and before they could pull over McLellan was completely out of handcuffs.

Wilkins said McLellan was able to reach in an air vent under the plexiglass separating him from deputies.

"He reached his hands up in there, grabbed the gun, released the little lever on the holster, and was able to actually grab the entire gun," Wilkins said.

Both attempts were unsuccessful and McLellan has since made it successfully to Central Prison in Raleigh, the highest security-rated prison in the state of North Carolina.