OOPSIE

Murder Suspect Accidentally Sprung From Indiana Jail

Authorities took six days to tell the public about the mistake, with officials saying they had been using it as “a tactical advantage.” The suspect remains on the run.

A man facing a murder charge in a 2021 shooting was released from a detention center in Indianapolis last week in what authorities characterized as a clerical error. Six days later, Kevin Mason, 28, remains on the run, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is appealing to the public for help locating him. Mason was arrested Sept. 11 on three outstanding warrants; a press release from the sheriff’s office said that he was released two days later “due to faulty records review by civilian staff.” One Marion County employee was terminated on Friday over the mistake, the sheriff’s office said. “I want to reassure the public that a round-the-clock manhunt has been underway,” said Col. James Martin, a sheriff’s office representative, according to The Indianapolis Star. As to why officials had waited six days to inform the public of Mason’s release, Martin said investigators had been using it as “a tactical advantage” in the search. “We will not rest until he is captured,” Martin emphasized.