UPDATE: Sheriff Garry McFadden announced on Saturday that murder suspect Jaylan Davis, who was erroneously released from jail on Thursday, turned himself in early Saturday at the Mecklenburg Detention Center.
Davis is again being held without bond and is scheduled to be back in court Monday, April 17.
“I am grateful that it appears that no one was harmed as a result of this mishap, though I am sure it was an emotional rollercoaster for the families involved,” McFadden said in a statement. “Our criminal justice system will never be flawless, but we will learn from this experience and improve our processes accordingly.”
A man charged with murder and “other violent felonies” was released from the Mecklenburg jail on Thursday following what the Sheriff’s Office has called a clerical error.
In a statement on Friday, Sheriff Garry McFadden said his deputies and other law enforcement officers were “working diligently” to locate the suspect, Jaylan Noah Davis.
Davis, 25, was arrested on Nov. 30 and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 42-year-old Arthur Mikulski in southwest Charlotte. The authorities also charged Davis with possession of a firearm by a felon and with shooting into an occupied property.
On Friday, “escape from local jail – awaiting trial” was added to Davis’ list of charges after he was allowed to walk free.
The Mecklenburg District Attorney’s Office notified the Sheriff’s Office of the erroneous release.
The Sheriff’s Office attributed the improper release to “an erroneous court order,” indicating that the charges against Davis had been dropped.
“The charges, however, were not dismissed, and the court order appears to be a clerical error,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“This is an unfortunate situation, but one we hope to rectify as quickly as possible,” McFadden said.
The Sheriff’s Office said Davis should be considered dangerous and advised the public to call 911 if he is seen.
Jail records indicate that Davis has been arrested at least five times since 2021.
