In Florida, a 26-year-old inmate named Joseph Edward Williams was released from jail due to the coronavirus pandemic. Officials were trying to prevent the spread of the virus in the jail and let inmates with non-violent offenses walk free. It appears that the very next day after he was released, he was also arrested for murder.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says Williams was allegedly involved in the shooting death of a man on March 20, the day after his release. He was arrested and is now charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm, and resisting an officer with violence.
Authorities say Williams is the only inmate in the county known to have committed a crime after being freed under the emergency order. The sheriff's office says that at the time of Williams' release, he needed only to pay $250 in order to be freed on bond.
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