Buncombe County Inmate Mistakenly Released Despite Active Hold
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. – Law enforcement in Buncombe County is in panic mode after a detainee was mistakenly let walk free from the county detention center — and now they’re racing to find him before something goes wrong.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office revealed Thursday that Corey Howell was accidentally released from custody on Sunday, Nov. 30, but the alarming mistake wasn’t discovered until days later.
Howell had been locked up on charges including domestic violence, larceny, and assault on a woman.
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Officials say Howell was issued a written promise to appear on certain charges, but what should’ve stopped his release was a separate hold placed by the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office — a hold that was somehow overlooked.
Buncombe County Inmate Mistakenly Released
Now, deputies are conducting an active manhunt to find Howell and get him back behind bars. Authorities are urging anyone with information on his location to call 911 immediately.
The sheriff’s department confirmed that the victim connected to Howell’s case was promptly notified of the mistake once it was discovered.
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller addressed the blunder in a public statement, calling the situation “unacceptable.”
“We deeply regret that this error occurred,” Miller said. “While there is no known immediate threat to the public, we took immediate steps to notify the victim and activate search efforts.”
Miller added that an internal investigation is now underway to determine exactly how the failure happened — and what safeguards must be put in place to ensure it never happens again.
“We are fully committed to transparency and accountability,” Miller said. “Corrective actions are already in motion.”
The embarrassing mishap comes just weeks after another inmate briefly escaped from the same detention center, raising even more concerns about security and oversight at the facility.
As of now, Corey Howell remains at large.
