Convicted Illinois Killer Mistakenly Released from Prison
By: NBC News
Updated: February 1, 2013
Police in two states and FBI agents on Thursday night were searching for a convicted murderer who was mistakenly released by Illinois authorities.
Steven L. Robbins, 44, who is serving a 60-year sentence for murder in Indiana, was mistakenly released Wednesday by Illinois authorities, officials from the Indiana Department of Corrections said.
Robbins was released from Indiana State Prison to appear in Cook County Circuit Court for drug charges on Tuesday, authorities said. Those charges against him were subsequently dropped.
But for reasons not known Thursday, Illinois authorities released him instead of returning him to the custody of Indiana officials.
"He walked out of Gate 5 [of the jail] and hasn't been seen by authorities since," Cook County Sheriff's Department Frank Bilecki told the Chicago Sun-Times, referring to the jail's main entrance and exit.
Robbins remained at large Thursday, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in both Indiana and Illinois, officials said.
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