Ohio murder suspect mistakenly freed from jail arrested in fatal gas station shooting
David A. Johnson III failed to turn himself in after mistaken release, involved in shooting in Columbus
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An Ohio homicide suspect mistakenly freed from jail last month due to a clerical error was involved in another killing after his release, authorities said.
David A. Johnson III, 20, of Columbus, was released from the Franklin County Jail on Nov. 29 after a county courts staffer accidentally made an error while filing a form, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
While Johnson’s attorney arranged for him to turn himself in after the mistake was discovered, Johnson never did.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Johnson instead became involved in an attempted robbery with two others at a gas station in Columbus on Dec. 13 that ended with the shooting death of a 21-year-old man, authorities said. Johnson then remained at large until he was arrested Monday night.
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Johnson was never turned himself in after his mistaken release from jail and was then involved in an attempted robbery at a gas station that left a 21-year-old dead, authorities said. (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office)
Johnson was initially charged with murder and other counts in an April 2021 shooting in Columbus that left his mother wounded and killed a 26-year-old man. He was placed on house arrest later that year, but a judge revoked that last month after Johnson was charged and jailed in the death of his year-old son.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Authorities said the boy died after ingesting drugs while in Johnson's care, and he initially was charged with drug possession and child endangerment. After an autopsy showed fentanyl in his son's system, Johnson was also charged with involuntary manslaughter.
A motion was filed Nov. 29 to dismiss Johnson’s initial charges in municipal court, and county prosecutors were planning to seek an indictment in the county's Common Pleas court.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Johnson was freed due to a clerical error after a motion was filed to dismiss his initial charges of murder and other charges in municipal court on Nov. 29. (iStock)
Despite the dismissal, Johnson should have remained in jail since his bond had been revoked, but he was freed that day because the clerical error meant jail officials were never notified that he should not be released.
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Johnson's lawyer has declined to comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.