Carmel woman cleared of aiding murder suspect accidentally released from Indy jail

A Carmel woman had no idea her then-boyfriend was released from jail accidentally when she picked him up from Marion County’s Adult Detention Center last year, her attorney said.  

Prosecutors have now dropped the criminal charge brought against 29-year-old Desiree Oliver. 

“I’m glad the prosecutor’s office looked at the case again and dismissed it,” said defense attorney Scott DeVries. “It was the right thing to do.”  

Oliver had been facing one count of assisting a criminal. The charge was brought against her during a saga involving the Marion County Sheriff’s Office accidentally releasing a murder suspect. 

Kevin Mason, 29, was arrested in Indianapolis and being held to face charges in a 2021 murder case in Minnesota. He is accused of killing a 29-year-old man in a shooting after the funeral of a mutual friend, according to The Star Tribune in Minneapolis.  

Mason was mistakenly released from the Adult Detention Center in Indianapolis on Sept. 13, 2023. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said a records-keeping error was to blame for his release.  

Officials waited six days before informing the public of Mason’s release to use the time as a “tactical advantage” in keeping him from running underground, the sheriff’s office said.  

Previous coverage: Murder suspect mistakenly released from Indianapolis jail captured by US Marshals

He had been picked up by Oliver shortly after his release. Investigators kept covert tabs on Oliver in hopes she would lead them to Mason, but later announced they believed Mason had left Indianapolis. 

After Oliver picked Mason up, she brought him to a Walmart and purchased him a few items then dropped him off on the north side of Indianapolis at his request, Oliver’s attorney said.  

“She didn’t let him go back to her house because she didn’t want trouble with someone who had just been arrested,” DeVries said. “It wasn’t until days later the sheriff’s office publicized the guy had been released by mistake. She had no idea he was a fugitive.” 

More than a week after Mason was released, the sheriff’s office announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture as the manhunt continued.  

Mason was eventually apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 27, 2023. He is currently in custody at the Hennepin County Jail in Minnesota with the murder charge brought against him pending, Hennepin County court records show. 

The charge brought against Oliver was dismissed on April 4, with prosecutors citing “evidentiary problems” in their motion.  

“I respect them for doing that, and they rightfully dismissed the case,” DeVries said.  

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.