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An inmate mistakenly released from a Washington state prison three months early has been charged with killing a teenager when the inmate should have been locked up, officials said Thursday.
It was the second death tied to the early release of as many as 3,200 prisoners since 2002 because of a software coding error that miscalculated sentences.
There are likely to be more crimes linked to inmates freed too soon, Department of Corrections Secretary Dan Pacholke said.
“I’m very concerned about what we’ll uncover as we move forward,” he said during a conference call with reporters. “It concerns me deeply about just the tragedy that is being produced based on early release.”
Jeremiah Smith, 26, was wrongly released on May 14. Less than two weeks later, he gunned down Ceasar Medina, 17, at a tattoo parlor in Spokane, authorities said.
Smith, who had been convicted of robbery, burglary and assault, shouldn’t have been released until Aug. 10, authorities say.
He was arrested shortly after the May 26 killing and charged with first-degree murder, burglary and other charges. He remains in custody while awaiting trial.
Two other men have been charged with crimes that occurred when they should have been behind bars. Robert Jackson was charged with vehicular homicide in the death of his girlfriend in a car crash, while Daniel Morris was charged with attempting to elude authorities.
Pacholke said he and Gov. Jay Inslee have apologized and offered condolences to Medina’s mother and the family of the woman killed.
Tracy Collins, the attorney for Smith, said Thursday he worried the publicity about the early release of prisoners would affect his client’s ability to get a fair trial.