Thomas Aaron was Whitlocked up............until now

"I could go into a lot of discussions that we've had as to how this took place," Sheriff Bruce Bryant told The Charlotte Observer.

We're all ears, Sheriff.

I am ok with letting a minor offense of possession of mary jane but a murderer?

On those instances, Sheriff, they command tighter control and scrutiny.

Mackie... you got that right. Easley should have had his law license revoked forever because of his felony conviction.

Who is this Sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane??

There is no justification for any oversight in allowing an incarcerated prisoner walk away.

I am ok with letting a minor offense of possession of mary jane but a murderer

Maybe it was just a minor murder.

PDK, well put. He sort of trailed off on that one, didn't he?

Ha Ha..yeah, If it was just another gang banger no big deal??? Right ??

I do understand that errors CAN happen, it is impossible to not have any at all... however, I really would like to hear the "discussions" as to how this particular mistake took place. And why, after so much time had passed already, the news was not released to the media for another 6 1/2 hours. That would be mistake #2. The clock was already ticking, for almost a day. What?!

I don't suppose they can charge him with prison escape when they catch him again since the fools let him go in the first place, can they? I mean if they let you go, then you just go. Right? That's not exactly escaping.

An escapee would not be stressed, running, and hiding if he did not know where he was suppose to be. Too bad we never hear about the ones who did not run! Not all law breakers are rotten to the core.

Interesting. So. what would YOU do? (Your answer will reveal much about your basic character.)

Now what happens if this Low-Life commits a horrific act against humanity - - will the relatives get to rightfully sue the State of SC for their error?

As for their ridiculous excuse, let me boldly try stating to an SC State Trooper that I drive over 7,000 miles a year..."can't you cut me a break for the last few driving 10 - 20 over the limit - it was clearly a mistake!"

these mistakes happen all the time most times the prisoners will correct the guards because they would be charged with escape otherwise most prisoners are there for a year or two they don't want eight years tacked on because of a two week vacation

I can see the day ahead when all prisoners will have a chip implanted. Then if they are released improperly, they can be found quickly.

AnIndividual,

"what would YOU do? (Your answer will reveal much about your basic character."

If your question is addressed to me, then if I were in prison, and they let me go, I guess I would go. Who am I to argue?

D'oh!

Mistakes happen all the time....just look at Gitmo....release terrorists for repatriation to other countries then the same terrorists wind up on the front lines in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., trying to kill coalition forces.

Whitlock can be easily found....just look under all the beds in S.C.

Technically progressive hospitals incorporate wrist bands with name and bar coded I.D. When dealing with these individuals at a large venue like a court house, I would think that POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION is a must.

I would opt for Tattooing their names on their foreheads. That should work if the wrist bands don't...........Idiots.

ldo,

"Whitlock can be easily found....just look under all the beds in S.C."

I think he was found hiding under a house the first time, but beds might not be a bad choice. At least he seems to like hiding under things. :)

I do not see how they could charge this guy with escape if they told him he could go. I do think that this guy should turn himself if for no other reason than to avoid possibly being shot by the police who see him as a dangerous fugitive. Of course if he does not come forward and turn himself in now that it has been so heavily publicized that his release was a mistake, they will probably add a charge of evading arrest to the other charges against him.

It is completely inexcusable that they could make such a monumental mistake as releasing a convicted murderer. I would hold the state responsible for any crimes he commits while he is on the run.

Citizens of South Carolina: this murderer is in your midst. Time to lock and load.

I believe this falls under."What the _______?"

Just curious did they give him a gun when they let him go? what was he wearing? did he have money? there seem to be allot of holes in this story. He had bad luck in Texas, better look in Detroit, nah to cold try Florida or Louisiana.

You forgot John Edwards

"Um, there seems to have been a mistake. I'm supposed to be getting OUT of prison today."

"Well, this says you're supposed to be going to prison."

"No, I was definitely in prison. That guy sat on my face and everything."

"You dumbas$! You're supposed to be in THAT line!"

Same concept as when a bank suddenly dumps a million bucks into your bank account. Do you take it knowing it's an obvious f*ck up, or do you report it to the bank? The guy knew he wasn't planning on being released, yet he "took the money" and left. So yea, just as the people who take out that million bucks, this guy needs to be rearrested whit some additional charges.

Chris from Yucaipa,

"Same concept as when a bank suddenly dumps a million bucks into your bank account. Do you take it knowing it's an obvious f*ck up, or do you report it to the bank? The guy knew he wasn't planning on being released, yet he "took the money" and left. So yea, just as the people who take out that million bucks, this guy needs to be rearrested whit some additional charges."

While I agree with what you're saying there, I hope we are not in the habit of imprisoning people who are shining examples of honesty and integrity. After all, the man is a murderer! I wouldn't expect him to just turn himself back in. :)

Hey it's the south. If they can't pardon murderers they just accidentally release them.

Sandy,

"Hey it's the south. If they can't pardon murderers they just accidentally release them."

Do you mean so the sheriff can get to hunt them down with bloodhounds and shotguns and dispense vigilante justice?

Yup. The government will take care of us except when they don't and then they will tell us that we shouldn't try to do it ourselves because that's their job...

Earthie,

Exactly what did you hear as a kid that would justify your post?

Wow Earthie- take some Valium. This isn't a child they are talking about. That is a whole different story- stick to topic. Calling someone a dead beat parent for wanting to protect themself and thier family is not a bad thing. The government has shown that they can't protect us, even though they tell us it is their job. A murderer let loose due to a mess up is not something that inspires my faith in government protection. If you want to talk about the school shooting- be sure to mention the abusive father, and personal responsibility, otherwise, keep it shut.

Exactly. I like how you put this :)

Hey Earthie........Everyone has a right to their opinions, and everyone certainly has the right to voice them. However, NOONE has the right to attack someone else for simply STATING THEIR OPINION. School shootings are unfortunate (to say the least), but its not always the parents' fault. Not every criminal had a crappy childhood. As for your comment on how children would act.......well, get a clue. If SOCIETY hadn't said 'oh, you can't discipline your child' and 'no, spanking is child abuse' then guess what?!?!? MOST of these social issues wouldn't exist!! DUH! Look at previous generations.....boy oh boy our grandparents were right! Church every Sunday, groundings and spankings for bad behavior and low grades......WOW!!! And they all had guns too!!! When SOCIETY and the GOVERNMENT decided to tell parents how to raise their kids, THAT'S when the problems with drugs, alcohol, gangs, and poor grades started. DON'T blame the parents: BLAME YOURSELF! People like YOU think they just KNOW EVERYTHING, when in fact: YOU DON'T KNOW SH!T.

Earthie - I have a homework assignment for you. Do a little research that does NOT rely on information from either the NRA OR the Brady Center, and you'll find that firearms are used for self defense FAR more frequently than they are for crimes.

Yes, I'm shocked and appalled by yesterday's murder spree, and, it wasn't the gun's fault; if guns kill people then I have a safe that's full of defective firearms. Certainly none of my guns, regardless of where they're stored, have killed anyone since I've owned them.

Nothing I've seen in any reporting by even the most liberal media has led me to believe that this kids parents were in any way negligent in the handling or storage of the firearm.

Hey Earthy;

How do you know the posters have KIDS?

You make assumptions then call people names! Your left wing is showing, only the left has that much HATE in them!

I'm thinkin that Earthie has never ventured west of the Mississippi or left the comfort of her local coffee shop. She's probably sitting there right now, sipping her soy juice and eating bean curd on gluten free fibre board telling people that guns are bad, cause she didn't really read the story, she just figured we needed to hear her opinion cause its the only one that matters. Must be nice to be a financially stable white girl, mid-30's, East Coaster, all-female-college educated.

Earthie: Holy Gamoly, stand down. Geez....

totally agree with olgaffer and cjnbb, when i was kid my dad didn't have a gun safe, he had shot guns and hand guns, i knew how to load them and shoot them, but i was taught they were for hunting and self defense, i knew i was not to touch them, my dad worked nights and it was just my mom and four girls at home. i had a great childhood, you can blame the parents who don't talk to their children and educate them on the consequences and damage that guns can cause, guns don't kill people, stupid people kill people!

@oldgaffer

you'll find that firearms are used for self defense FAR more frequently than they are for crimes.

and @daryl

oldgaffer, so where did you do your homework to come up with the statement that "firearms are used for self defense FAR more frequently than they are for crimes?" This aught to be fun.

Here you go:

* Based on survey data from the U.S. Department of Justice, roughly 5,340,000 violent crimes were committed in the United States during 2008. These include simple/aggravated assaults, robberies, sexual assaults, rapes, and murders.[13] [14] [15] Of these, about 436,000 or 8% were committed by offenders visibly armed with a gun.[16]

* Based on survey data from a 2000 study published in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology,[17] U.S. civilians use guns to defend themselves and others from crime at least 989,883 times per year.[18]

So according to this, violent crimes committed with guns are outnumbered by defensive use of firearms to stop/prevent crime by nearly 2 to 1 (989,883 crimes stopped by guns vs 436,000 crimes committed with guns).

Read more here: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp

and it's "ought" not "aught," Daryl.

Also WMG-21 when gun permits goes up crime goes down.

Criminals are deterred by higher penalties. Just as higher arrest and conviction rates deter crime, so does the risk that someone committing a crime will confront someone able to defend him or herself. There is a strong negative relationship between the number of law-abiding citizens with permits and the crime rate—as more people obtain permits there is a greater decline in violent crime rates. For each additional year that a concealed handgun law is in effect the murder rate declines by 3 percent, rape by 2 percent, and robberies by over 2 percent.

Concealed handgun laws reduce violent crime for two reasons. First, they reduce the number of attempted crimes because criminals are uncertain which potential victims can defend themselves. Second, victims who have guns are in a much better position to defend themselves

From the John Lott Book "More Guns Less Crime"

WMG: well done.
Earthie: get a grip.

I had to comment all because of the comment that EARTHIE made and I capitalize so that everyone knows who I'm referring to. Whoever you are, you're no different than any other moron out there. You blame the world for the problems out there and don't look at people individually. Yes, I said individually! Parents are responsible for raising a child with poor parenting that leads to social issues/behavior and what not, but NOT responsible if that child decides to grow up and seek revenge by physical means or in any way to harm another person. That is called personal choice and although some may be brain washed growing up, personal choice is a choice of EVERYONE!. Your rant about children growing up to kill other kids has nothing to do with what this article is about which shows me you're either illiterate or just completely incompetent. GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE!!!!! It takes a person to decide upon inflicting harm upon another, the gun doesn't jump into the hands of idiots and fire at who it seems fit. You're calling others dead beat parents and SOBs. What are you is the perfect question? I would love to know what kind of person you are. It's people like you that have taken and are trying to take the very freedoms this country was founded by because you think everyone else is responsible for everyone's mistakes. Sorry, but no. I'm a stickler for gun safety and I speak for most of the people who are pro gun. Just to reference to your comment a little more, if you take away guns, CRIMINALS WILL STILL CARRY THEM! Reason they are criminals because they have NO respect for law, so take away guns and they have it easier to kill. Who's gonna protect you then, the Police? I have no disrespect for Police whatsoever because I myself work for a public service, but Police can't be everywhere so that being said, who's gonna protect you? Your words, your preachings, your laws? NOPE!

Earthie~

It's parent's like you that breed, unruly, negative thinking, behaving children!

So what explains your unruly, negative thinking, name calling, judgmental adult behavior?

Ok people I am as left as you can get, lol I mean come on I live near Seattle, however even I think EARTHIE is a complete idiot. My whole family is a bunch of liberals but every one of us has multiple firearms. So take the fight against the INDIVIDUAL like you said, attack EARTHIE's comment but don't be attacking liberals just because you have a stereotype.

To EARTHIE - please oh please use some intelligence, do guns have a thinking mind? No, humans have brains and we are suppose to use them. We are suppose to impart important knowledge to our young, which since we as humanity invented guns to protect and defend ourselves we should educate our offspring in the dangers and benefits of owning and/or operating firearms. We as a society have gotten so %$%^$&@ bubble wrapped that stupid people like you are able to survive. Darwin can no longer work his magic at weeding out the dumb@$$*$$ because no one wants to take personal responsibility for their own life or safety so now our government stepped in, created all these laws and safety procedures so that life is now idiot proof. I HOPE that the apocalypse hits soon cause the world needs a freaking reboot.

Zombie Police Alert: Barnie Fife has risen from the grave!

Plus:

This Earthie person sounds like living proof that sometimes the bent and battered sperm does make it to the core of the egg ... what a retard!

Lol Jessi~

Minus some of the personal attacks, I think you are pretty dead on. Personal responsibility is a thing of the past and it ABSOLUTELY shouldn't be. A gun doesn't get up on its own and decide to shoot someone, there has to be a living breathing entity controlling it...ie..humans. If you don't impart responsibility and repercussions in your children, how are they ever to grow to be considerate, contributing citizens of humanity? It's beliefs like Earthies that make them the victim when something bad happens. I have several guns in my house and while I am personally not comfortable with them yet, I DO take comfort knowing that I have means to save myself and my family if someone decides to break in. I will not take the life of another easily but to protect my loved ones I will do anything I can.

Also...to the people that want guns taken away...do you REALLY think that criminals are going to pay attention to the law? Really?

@ Steve L comment 2.19

You owe me one computer monitor cleaning. That'll teach me to swig liquids right before reading hilarity :-D

@ Jessi D~

Thank you! You took the words right out of my fingers.

If guns kill people; forks make people fat and pencils misspell words.

Personal responsibility, people!

Signed,

A flaming lefty

And,

(And,)... Ditto to WMG! My co-workers are looking at me funny as they watch me clean my screen. Too freaking funny!

WMG Thank you and nicley done. Although I agreed with the others before your post, I had no idea that firearms were used in self-defense that often. A very staggering number!!!

I have teen boys and I have guns for both hunting and self-defense. They know how to use every gun we own. They also know how to run and have been taught to do so. If someone has a gun and you do not, do not comply, don't scream, RUN!!

Earthie -- when someone breaks into your home you can say STOP or I'll Say STOP again!!! Good luck with that!!!

Wow, talk about tree hugging. The mossy oak must have been sprinkled with some LSD or something. Earthie you needs to put down the natural herbs you've been smoking, er drinking.

The courts would have let him walk anyway! He just got out a little sooner.

Just use google image, I think I know why no picture was used in this article...

We can't have the picture because publishing it would not be politically correct.

Well that was not successful. Linked but they removed it. Lol Google name, it's there. Really would make sense to put it on any article but then making sense isn't always what this world is about.

We can't have the picture because publishing it would not be politically correct.

Somehow public safety is taking a backseat to common sense on this one, but at least no one will run the risk of possibly being offended.

Looks like there is a picture in this article to me showing frontal and profile.

Lauren, didn't you see his picture at the beginning of the article?

Lauren, didn't you see his picture at the beginning of the article?

It's because the article was edited to incorporate the picture.

Is "luck of the Irish" supposed to be an ironic phrase? You'd be hard-pressed to find any group of people historically unluckier than the Irish.

@ Chris - Your kidding. You've never heard the term "The luck of the Irish"? Wow.

*You're. And what kind of stupid question is that? Of course I've heard it. I asked if the phrase is intended to be ironic. Learn to read.

You are both wasting a lot of space here...LIGHTEN UP...BOTH OF YOU!

Thank you, Jessie James.

There is no agreement regarding the term "Luck of the Irish." It did originate in America, and the Irish were mistreated when they immigrated. So the luck of the Irish could be (1) an ironic reference to bad luck, or (2) a way for the people who looked down on the Irish to characterize their good fortune as undeserved.

So everybody is right and nobody is right. Now go to your rooms.

LOL go to your rooms

how about take a lap around the block

Damn .. I'm really getting confused .... Was this guy "Black Irish?' ... lol

Sure as me name is O'Schwartz.

Not everyone, Chris. I have no problem with that. In fact, that's exactly the guy I want to be around in public when something bad happens. At least I know ONE of the other people out there carrying a gun (besides me) is a law abiding, trained citizen who's prepared to defend himself.

Everyone minus the millions of others that can protect themselves..

People commenting on self-defense like it is a crime against humanity amaze me.Without an armed populous, there would be no USofA. This is like the sheep complaining about the shepard's dog while the wolves circle. Crimes are committed by criminals. Crimes are not committed by law-abiding Americans who believe in self-defense. But you are correct! Self-defense is not a right! Of course, it is hard to have your life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness when you are afraid to walk the streets in your own neighborhoods. Self-defense is a natural instinct! Just ask the Joint Chiefs...or would you rather our country disarm also?

@ Chambley, John & IndieVote, I'm with you on this! Proud to be an American, armed, trained, law abiding and ready to defend! Long live the U.S. Constitution and the 2nd Amendment!!

@ Chris I wish you luck when crime finds you! Btw I'm a woman if you can't tell from my name!!

@chris, when some degenerate criminal breaks into your home and murders you and your family, I'll bet you wished you had a gun to defend your family.....

Chris, I'm perfectly comfy around anyone who has legally attained a firearm and conceal carry permit. Unless, of course, I was going to try and rob them. :o)

yeh,and aint bee will make him a nice meal in jail too!!! tell barney to put that one bullet in the gun before he uses it

Technically he was legally released from prison.... what will you be shooting him for? He has broken no law (beyond what he was convicted for).

He is not in charge of administration of his case. The warrant he will be picked up on will not be new charges against him.

@ MARK

Thats right !

its like the IRS...oh, we refunded you 25$ too much 10 years ago and now you owe us 5,450$. NO, your mistake dont harm the public becasue you G-men messed up.

" Nip It In The Bud "

The new charge will be "leaving, when we released you ...."

Check the post office if it is still there and open.

It would be a civil rights offense to show his picture.

Someone: I cant believe all the people who didn't see the picture at the beginning of the article. Man, you just space right by it. Give us all a break and quit asking why there was no picture. He is dressed in BRIGHT ORANGE, and front and side views are there.!

@Patricia - the msnbc-ers added the photos later, after readers started to bitch about it. It was originally posted with no images, either because there was none available or because the editor was too pc.

I would feel better about it if the photos included a name-and-prisoner-number board - how do we know that the correct person is shown here? Journalists make mistakes too.

Wait...what?

Marcellus, really? Obviously you are jibing and that was meant in humor.

Macellus, he's not violent. He was just in prison for Murder. Not his fault of course.

Maybe he dispatched his victim in a non-violent manner, like hugging them to death.

Yeah, all murderors aren't violent! When they show up at your house with a gun they won't shoot you! I just love your logic...

You're mistaken on the free cable. Inmates have their own accounts that family and friends put money into for the extras.

I disagree with the amount of money spent to house these people, but violence begets violence and a hollowpoint doesn't solve anything, unless it is a case that is up for the death penalty. You're merely bringing this viscous cycle, full-circle.

Much to the uninformed citizen's surprise, giving someone the death penalty actually costs more than life in prison after all of the appeals, attorney's fees, etc. (tax money wise).

Unless there is an altercation to be prevented, keep your gun to yourself.

"For a negligent escape, the sheriff or keeper of the prison is liable to punishment in a criminal case."

More like that idiot Holder, if it was up to him he'd release all black criminals, especially muslims.

Oh, they did... but then accidentally got released.

This whole thing is just one giant facepalm. (I type as I shake my head...)