A man sentenced to life in prison for double murder is on the run once again, after he was accidentally released.
James Edward Daniels was mistakenly let out of jail because of a “procedural error”, according to Miami-Dade police.
The 60-year-old left the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on September 27, according to authorities.
Daniels served some of his life sentence in a state prison in Lake City, close to the Florida Panhandle, before being transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight facility in the Miami area last week.
In March 2025, he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in a brutal kidnapping, torture, and murder which took place in a truck yard in the Opa-Locka section of Miami.
State, county, and federal agents are currently searching for the convicted murderer after the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections notified the FBI and U.S. Marshals of Daniel’s disappearance.
However, according to CBS Miami, the Marshals Service did not learn about Daniels’ release until a full day after he vanished.
The MDCR has said it will launch an urgent investigation into how Daniel was allowed to leave the prison.
“The top priority of MDCR is to ensure his swift apprehension and safe return to custody.
“All available resources are being utilized, including the assistance of our local and federal law enforcement partners.
“A full internal affairs investigation is underway to review the circumstances surrounding this incident and any potential failures to follow departmental policy.
“MDCR is committed to ensuring that those responsible for failing to follow policy are held accountable to the fullest extent possible,” a statement from MDCR read.
Daniels was convicted of taking part in a criminal plot alongside co-conspirators Patrick Eugene Rudolph, 70, and Herbert Barr, 57, who joined in the scheme to steal drugs and jewelry from a group of workers in a truck yard.
After the three men tortured Osmar Oliva, Julio Verdecia, and Juan Gonzalez, the kidnappers shot each of them in the head, according to court documents.
Although Olivia and Gonzalez both died, Verdecia was discovered by the emergency services and was airlifted to the hospital.
Rudolph and Daniels were later convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping.
Meanwhile, Barr pleaded guilty to kidnapping and cooperated in the government’s case against the others.
The Independent has approached the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections for comment.
