In Florida, police are on a manhunt for two murderers who were released as the result of forged paperwork.
Joseph Jenkins, 34, was convicted of murder in 1998 when he killed Roscoe Pugh Jr. in a robbery gone awry. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to CNN, he was released from prison on September 27.
Charles Walker, 34, was found guilty of second-degree murder in 1999, when he shot and killed Cedric Slater. Walker was also serving a life sentence, reports Fox News. He was freed on October 8.
The Department of Corrections insists that it is not to blame for the release of Jenkins and Walker. Spokeswoman Misty Cash stated, “"It's our responsibility to carry out the order of the court. It's not our job to question what the court does. We were given the info from the court that their sentence was modified, and we did our role."
The escape of Jenkins was discovered when a member of his victim’s family called State Attorney Jeffrey Ashton about Jenkin’s release. When the paperwork was reviewed, it was discovered that signatures had been forged on fake paperwork. Walker’s falsified documents were discovered shortly after.
This is not the first time that court documents have been forged in convicts’ efforts to escape. Florida inmate Jeffrey Forbes attempted a similar scheme and is now being prosecuted for his efforts.
According to USA Today, Ashton stated, "It is now clear that the use of forged court documents to obtain release from prison is an ongoing threat which all law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, court clerks and prison officials must address and stop.”
Michael Crews, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary, has assured the public that the Department is reviewing all releases to ensure that no other convicts have escaped as a result of forged documents.
Crews said in a statement, "The top priority of the department is the safety of Florida families and we'll continue working with law enforcement to ensure these men are returned to custody.”