Three jail employees face discipline in mistaken release of Raytown murder suspect

The mistaken release of a murder suspect from the Jackson County jail in February has led to disciplinary action against three employees, according to authorities.

Clerical errors by jail staff were to blame for the release of Malcolm D. Johnson, 26, who was being held at the jail while facing charges in a 2014 Raytown murder case, according to a statement from Joseph Piccinini, the county’s director of corrections.

Johnson remains at large and is being sought by police. Prosecutors accused him of shooting 22-year-old Monteario Hogan in October 2014 behind the Family Dollar store at 5242 Blue Ridge Blvd. Hogan died of a gunshot wound to the head.

About a month after the shooting, Johnson was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. He remained in custody at the Jackson County jail until he was released Feb. 17.

In his statement, Piccinini wrote that the release occurred after prosecutors dropped and then refiled charges in routine procedural action but that those actions should not have triggered Johnson’s release. The error occurred at the jail, according to Piccinini.

Jail officials “did have the proper paperwork on file at the time of the release, and several associates had access to that file,” Piccinini wrote.

County officials did not release details about the disciplinary actions against the employees. One of the employees involved no longer works at the jail.

Piccinini wrote that the jail revised its policies and procedures related to the release of inmates.

“Based on our investigation, we have made changes in those procedures to ensure such a release cannot happen in the future,” Piccinini wrote. “We understand the concerns of the family of the victim, and those of our residents, and we apologize to them. We will continue to work with law enforcement to help in any way with the arrest of Mr. Johnson.”

Police asked anyone with information about Johnson to call the Raytown Police Department at 816-737-6020 or the Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Three jail employees face discipline in mistaken release of Raytown murder suspect."