The Marion County Sheriff's Office is investigating an incident in which an inmate was mistakenly released due to an error in the release process involving identical twin brothers. Darrell Austin was released instead of his brother, Daron Austin, for whom a bond had been posted. Major Ben Bostock of the Marion County Sheriff's Office said, "There's no excuse — we own it," according to FOX59. The twins have "nearly indistinguishable physical characteristics" and similar names, which contributed to the error.
Darrell Austin had been in custody on charges including theft, criminal mischief, and battery by bodily waste. Once the error was discovered, officials notified the court and dispatched officers to locate Darrell. WISH-TV reported that he was apprehended yesterday around 3:15 p.m. without incident and is now facing an escape charge based on preliminary evidence suggesting he "intentionally impersonated his brother during the release process."
The mishandling of the twins' release has prompted questions about the accuracy of jail release procedures. The twins’ uncle, who posted the $300 bond, told FOX59 that "the jail definitely needs to work on making sure they do release the right people and doing counts to make sure the right people that should be in are still in the jail." Officials note that this is not the first incident of a wrongful release in Marion County, with similar errors occurring in previous years.
Major Bostock addressed the administrative error, emphasizing the department’s commitment to accountability. "This is a highly unusual set of circumstances," he said to WISH-TV, noting lapses in policies and referring the matter to the Internal Affairs unit for investigation. The sheriff’s office said it is taking steps to prevent similar errors and will hold staff members responsible for the mistaken release of the inmate.
