Without warrant from Maryland, murder suspect released from Charlotte jail

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office was forced to release a Maryland man charged with killing someone, the agency said on Friday.

Jail logs say that Charles Anthony Boatwright, charged with murder by Baltimore police, was held in the Mecklenburg County jail for almost three months. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police booked him there on a fugitive warrant on July 16. Prosecutors said they continued his case twice.

The sheriff’s office released him on Oct. 8 after waiting for months for Baltimore police to send a governor’s warrant, which allows someone to be extradited back to the state they face charges in, according to a statement.

“MCSO can lawfully hold a fugitive for 90 days before a Governor’s Warrant is issued,” the sheriff’s office said. “We can hold that individual for up to 30 additional days after the Governor’s Warrant has been received. Despite repeated efforts to confirm receipt of the required documentation, no Governor’s Warrant was received from Maryland within the legal period.”

Without the warrant, the district attorney’s office was forced to dismiss charges, said DA spokesperson Mike Stolp. Boatwright would have been held in jail illegally had it continued any longer.

Baltimore police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, usually a critic of the leadership at the sheriff’s office, defended that agency and the district attorney’s office in a statement Friday.

“We recognize that there has been significant public frustration directed toward the DA’s Office and the MCSO,” the statement said. “However, responsibility for this situation does not rest with either agency. The breakdown appears to have occurred in Maryland, where authorities did not complete their part of the extradition process.”

Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.