A nationwide search has been launched for an accused murderer who was mistakenly released from Ohio's Lucas facility recently – but whose absence wasn't discovered for three days.
Grady Brinkley, who walked out of the jail with 45 cents in his pocket, is considered extremely dangerous. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Brinkley in connection with the slashing death of his ex-girlfriend earlier this year.
“We want the public to know that an alleged murderer is out and about in the community,” Lucas County Sheriff Ken Perry said.
Brinkley, 33, was released from the jail at about 5 p.m. on November 3, after a paperwork error. Perry said the mistake was not discovered until about noon on November 6.
The mishap leading to Brinkley's release followed a hearing recently at Lucas County Common Pleas Court.
To make the case easier to handle, prosecutors had consolidated charges from two cases, and re-indicted Brinkley for aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in two separate instances.
After the new charges were filed, the old charges were dropped at the hearing in front of Judge James Jensen.
When Brinkley was taken back to jail, a deputy apparently noticed that the old charges had been dismissed but didn't realize new charges had taken their place, Perry said. Brinkley was released from the jail about 90 minutes after the hearing.