Inmate captured days after mistakenly released from Burke County Jail

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Burke County deputies said an inmate has been captured days after he was mistakenly released from jail.

According to the sheriff’s office, Vance Hinson Jr. was released around 8:45 p.m. on Friday after responding to the name of another inmate inside the jail. Officials said the detention officer failed to follow proper protocol for releasing the inmate.

The jail realized the mistake about 30 minutes later.

Michael Freeman, a local bail bondsman who was at the jail at the time getting someone else out, explained what happened. He told Channel 9 that the inmate whose name was called is hard of hearing and when jailers shouted his name, Hinson -- who was in the same holding cell -- stepped forward.

“When the processing people were letting my defendant out, this young man spoke up and said he was actually this gentleman,” Freeman said. “It was malice on the part of the inmate. Not my client and not on the jail.”

Hinson was then given the other inmate’s street clothes and walked out the front doors of the jail.

Channel 9 learned that Hinson was captured Tuesday around 1:50 p.m. after a tip led authorities to the attic of a home on Jenkins Road in Morganton. He was taken into custody without resistance and charged with felony escape.

Eyewitness News reporter Dave Faherty was there moments after Hinson was found. When asked why he walked out of jail, Hinson responded, “Just a bad decision, man.”

Faherty then asked if he regrets his decision, and Hinson said, “I don’t know. Not really.”

Hinson was in custody for failure to appear, possession of Schedule I controlled substance and a probation violation. He has been previously convicted of speeding to elude arrest, possession of a controlled substance, assault and larceny.

Some people Channel 9 spoke with on Tuesday said they were in disbelief that something like this could happen. Others said Hinson took advantage of an opportunity.

“You should double check maybe even triple check before you let the wrong person out,” resident Lanie Riggenbach said.

Sheriff Steve Whisenant told Faherty that the jail is currently understaffed by 18 positions. He also said that protocols in place to properly identify released inmates were not followed.

“We just failed to follow all of our protocols to ensure we had the right inmate before he was released,” Whisenant said. “Not an excuse. If you’re full staffed and following protocols that would never happen”

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