Accused kidnapper mistakenly freed from jail, Alabama cops say. They can’t find him
A man accused of kidnapping a prominent Alabama businessman last year is back on the street after he was mistakenly released from jail last week, multiple news outlets report.
Matthew Amos Burke, 35, was freed from the Jefferson County Jail on Dec. 10, more than a month after pleading guilty to federal charges in the abduction of Birmingham businessman Elton B. Stephens Jr., according to WBRC.
Jail records indicate he was released just before 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 10.
Burke was sentenced to 17 years in prison for “kidnapping, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit bank fraud,” according to a Nov. 2 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
His girlfriend, Tabatha Hodges, was sentenced to 12 years, WBRC reported. She was originally charged with “one count of conspiracy and one count of kidnapping” in October 2020.
Burke was being held on a federal detainer, meaning he would be turned over to federal authorities once he was done with state charges, when he was released by accident, AL.com reported. Now the U.S. Marshals Service is looking for him.
McClatchy News reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service on Dec. 14 and is awaiting a response.
Stephens’ attorney, Tommy Spina, said he doesn’t know how this happened and expressed concern for his client’s safety.
“I do know there was in fact a federal detainer, but somehow something slipped through the cracks and (Burke) was released,” Spina told McClatchy News. “I suppose if I had a message that I wanted to get out there, it would be that I wish Mr. Burke would turn himself in.”
Burke and Hodges broke into Stephens’ home in September 2020 where they robbed him of his car, guns and other valuables, WIAT reported, citing court records. The pair then took Stephens to Blount County and demanded a $250,000 ransom for his release.
Stephens — whose family founded EBSCO Industries and landed on Forbes’ list of the nation’s richest families in 2014 — was returned home after he wired his kidnappers the money, according to WIAT.
Part of the abduction was recorded on Stephen’s sleep apnea app, AL.com reports. Burke and Hodges also threatened to kill Stephens if he tried to contact anyone, the outlet reported, citing court documents.
Both were later arrested and charged in the abduction.
The U.S. Marshals Service was alerted to Stephens’ release and is working with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and FBI to find him, according to WIAT.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Accused kidnapper mistakenly freed from jail, Alabama cops say. They can’t find him."