Sheriff's office: Minnesota murder suspect mistakenly released likely left Indianapolis
Update: Prosecutors dismissed the assisting a criminal charge filed against Desiree Oliver on April 4, 2024. For more on the dismissal, click here.
Update: On Sept. 22, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said murder suspect Kevin Mason, who was accidentally released from the Community Justice Campus jail last week, is believed to have left Indianapolis on Sept. 13. A $10,000 reward for information leading to Mason's arrest has been announced. More than 300 officers from local departments and the US Marshal Service have been part of the manhunt in Indianapolis and other jurisdictions. An official declined to elaborate on where Mason may be hiding but promised to charge anyone helping him.
“We will not stop and we will not sleep until he is back in custody,” said Col. James Martin with the sheriff's office.
Original article: The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has arrested the girlfriend of murder suspect Kevin Mason, who was accidentally released from the Community Justice Campus jail last week due to a records-keeping issue. Mason remains free as authorities continue a manhunt for his arrest.
"I want to reassure the public that a round-the-clock manhunt has been underway ever since," Martin said Tuesday.
More: Authorities searching for murder suspect mistakenly released from Indianapolis jail
Sheriff Kerry J. Forestal announced Wednesday during a media conference the arrest of Desiree Oliver, 29, a nurse working in Carmel, on charges of assisting a criminal, a Level 5 felony. Forestal said Oliver was in custody and being interrogated by officers on the whereabouts of Mason.
Oliver picked Mason up in her car on Sept. 13 shortly after his accidental release, Forestal said, then obtained a new cell phone and drove to a Walmart on North Keystone where she purchased men's clothing and toiletries. Investigators kept covert tabs on Oliver in hopes she would lead them to Mason.
Oliver, said Forestal, traveled to the area of Southport and Emerson Avenue where he believes Mason might be found.
"If anybody saw her check in to a hotel down in that area, she might be hiding Kevin Mason," Forestal said. "She has not cooperated. We arrested her today at 2 o'clock."
Forestal encouraged Mason to surrender Wednesday as law enforcement ramps up efforts to catch him at locations they have under surveillance. In speaking to media, Forestal didn't mince words about his desire to end the manhunt quickly.
"Our plan is to look throughout the city with a uniformed presence and make it uncomfortable for anybody who might be keeping him," Forestal said. "So if somebody wants to get him out of their house and happy to sit him on the front porch, we'll come by, because when we knock, we're not going to knock the way we usually do."
Kevin Mason, 28, was wanted on three Minnesota warrants, including murder in connection with a 2021 shooting in Minneapolis. Mason was arrested Sept. 11 in Indianapolis but the details about how that unfolded were not immediately provided. He was accidentally released two days later on Sept. 13.
Officials waited six days before informing the public of Mason's release to use the time, Martin said, as a "tactical advantage" in keeping him from running underground. The sheriff's office believes Mason remains in Marion County and is receiving help from someone locally.
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Why Kevin Mason was charged with murder
Mason is accused of shooting and killing Dontevius A. Catchings, 29, in the Shiloh Temple parking lot after the funeral of a mutual friend, according to local news reports at the time.
"One funeral attendee told authorities that Mason and Catchings were longtime friends, but they got into a fistfight over Mason refusing to return a gun to Catchings," the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported at the time.
An internal investigation is underway to determine if any policy or procedural violations occurred, but two sheriff’s office employees have already been fired.
How was Mason mistakenly released?
Mason was arrested in Indianapolis on three different warrants — homicide, parole violation, and firearms possession — from three different jurisdictions, according to the sheriff's office.
Authorities in Minnesota waived extradition on one warrant, which may have contributed to the Indianapolis release, Martin said.
A records clerk thought she was "correcting duplicate bookings" on Sept. 12 and removed two of his holds. The next day another jurisdiction removed its hold. Mason was released at 11:05 a.m. Sept. 13 and the sheriff's office became aware of his release at 5:30 p.m. that same day.
What does Kevin Mason look like?
Mason is 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighing about 205 pounds with a cross tattoo under his right eye and “SUB” tattooed on his chest. He also has a neck tattoo.
Residents are encouraged to provide any details or tips that might aid law enforcement in identifying and locating Kevin Mason.
People with information are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS. Mason is also encouraged to turn himself in through our Safe Surrender program by calling 317-327-7233.
Anyone who sees Mason is asked to call 911.
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John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kevin Mason search: Minnesota murder suspect has fled Indianapolis
