Update (2:58 p.m. on Sept. 21)

Officials with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office will provide an additional update at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on the search for 28-year-old Kevin Mason.

Click here for an update.

Original Story:

INDIANAPOLIS – Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal provided an update on the status of the search for 28-year-old Kevin Mason, identifying two people who could know where he is.

According to previous reports, Mason was mistakenly released on Sept. 13 because of a faulty records review performed by inmate clerks in the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. This comes after Mason was taken into custody on Sept. 11 after he was connected to a fatal shooting in Minneapolis in 2021. Mason is not yet in custody, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Officials said at the time that on Sept. 12, an inmate record clerk thought “she was correcting duplicate bookings” for Mason. According to previous reports, the clerk removed two holds and Ramsay County in Minnesota lifted Mason’s last hold. An initial investigation into the incident led to the termination of two clerks from the office. 

Since his release on Sept. 13, officials previously said that a “round-the-clock” manhunt has been in progress. 

“He was on the run for nearly two years and he was in custody for a short 48 hours,” Forestal said during the conference. “We’d rather no one get out of jail, much less someone charged with murder. We’re doing our best to try to recover him.” 

During the conference, Forestal said that 29-year-old Desiree Oliver is in custody on one count of assisting a criminal, a Level 5 felony. Officials believe that Oliver, who Forestal identified as his girlfriend, was the first person that Mason called when he was released.

Officials also believe that Oliver purchased a new cell phone, as well as some men’s items and travel items. Forestal also said that last night, Oliver traveled to an area with a lot of hotels nearby.

Oliver was arrested by law enforcement Wednesday afternoon. Forestal said that Oliver is not cooperating with providing information about Mason to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. An additional woman was also brought into the office for questioning, but officials stressed that as of Wednesday afternoon, she wasn’t arrested.

Forestal said the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said they plan to conduct a more overt uniformed operation in their search for Mason in Indianapolis through multiple law enforcement agencies. Forestal said that some area homes are currently under surveillance.

The family of Dontevius Catchings, the man who was killed in 2021, said they are glad to hear law enforcement made an arrest on Wednesday.

“I’m happy they got a lead on some stuff, you know,” Catchings’ mother Sharita told FOX59/CBS4. “I’m just keeping prayer hoping that he just get in custody so this won’t be a long stretch for me again.”

Catchings said it is still unacceptable that Mason was released in the first place and continues to demand accountability. She said the termination of two clerks is not enough.

“Somebody is dropping the ball over there,” Catchings said. “And it ain’t coming from the little people, like the civilian that was in charge of releasing someone.”

According to previous reports, Mason is described as being a 5-foot-9, 205-pound male with a cross tattoo under his right eye. Mason also has “SUB” tattooed on his chest and an unidentified neck tattoo.

Those with information on Mason’s whereabouts are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS. Officials also continue to urge Mason to turn himself in through their safe surrender program by calling (317) 327-SAFE.