An inmate charged with capital murder is back in custody after being mistakenly released from the Harris County Jail.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Justin Tompkins, 21, was released by mistake from the jail at around 9 p.m. Thursday. Tompkins returned to the jail and voluntarily surrendered about 24 hours later.
The sheriff’s office says that the jail staff likely mistook Tompkins for another inmate by the same name.
Tompkins had been in jail since December 2022. He was arrested by the Houston Police Department and charged with capital murder.
Thompkins is accused of shooting and killing 23-year-old Deon Pouncy. A second suspect, Osmin Antonio Zamora-Lopez, was also charged with capital murder in connection to the shooting.