A convicted kidnapper mistakenly released from a Miami jail due to a “procedural error” was caught this week in Georgia after a three-day manhunt.
Why it matters: The accidental release of James Edward Daniels — who had been serving a life sentence for a 2020 kidnapping that killed two men — is another black eye for Miami-Dade County jails.
- Until this summer, Miami-Dade Corrections had been under federal oversight since 2013 after the Department of Justice alleged the jail system provided inadequate mental health care for inmates.
State of play: After Daniels was sentenced in March to life in prison, the federal inmate was transferred to Miami’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center last week to settle a separate drug case, multiple outlets reported.
- A judge there convicted him of cocaine possession and driving under the influence, according to the Miami Herald.
- The judge let him off with “time served,” deciding not to add any more prison time since Daniels was already serving a life sentence, the Herald reported.
Despite a “detainer” order to return Daniels to federal custody, the jail set him free last Saturday, according to the outlet.
Threat level: The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, which offered a $30,000 reward for his capture, warned the public that Daniels should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
- Daniels, 60, had been convicted for his role in the kidnapping of three men, who prosecutors say were tortured and shot by Daniels and his accomplices. Two of the victims died.
The latest: He was captured in Georgia on Wednesday…