Authorities in Baltimore are searching for a murder suspect who was released from a North Carolina jail this week.
Charles Anthony Boatwright is accused of fatally shooting a man in West Baltimore on July 13.
He was arrested in North Carolina later that week and booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail in Charlotte, where he had been held as a fugitive from another state since July 16 on a $7.5 million bond, online court records show.
However, after two court appearances and without a governor’s extradition warrant from Maryland, North Carolina officials voluntarily dismissed the extradition and released the 55-year-old from custody late Wednesday night, the local ABC affiliate WSOC reported.
Under state law, a defendant can be held on an extradition warrant for up to 30 days, with the option to petition for an extension while awaiting a governor’s warrant from the originating state, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office told WSOC.
“After the original 30-day period, the case was continued twice over two months, as the law permits, but with no Governor’s Warrant ever filed and the next possible court date falling outside the legally permissible period of detention, the state was compelled to dismiss the extradition warrant,” the office said.
On Thursday, the Baltimore Police Department asked the public for help locating Boatwright, who is “wanted for murder” in the July 13 shooting death of Randolph Smith in the 3900 block of Frederick Avenue.
Anyone with information on Boatwright’s whereabouts is urged to contact Baltimore police homicide detectives at (410) 396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.
