The man convicted of attempted murder who was mistakenly released from Miami-Dade County Jail was back in court Thursday to face a charge of escape.
Dexter A. Davis, 36, pleaded not guilty to the escape charge, and will be held without bond. His attorney also asked that he be given a psychiatric evaluation.
Davis, of Opa-locka, was convicted Monday of stabbing his ex-girlfriend 15 times with a 12" butcher knife, but was accidentally released Tuesday morning, setting off a multi-agency search by local and federal officials.
A corrections employee, apparently confused by an indication of time served on a less serious misdemeanor charge, applied the time served provision to all of the charges and released Davis.
He was taken into custody Tuesday evening after he was recognized in the psychiatric ward at the University of Miami Hospital. Police haven't said why he was there.
"Public safety is of the utmost importance and we regret any concerns this incident has caused the citizens of Miami-Dade County," said Corrections spokesperson Janelle Hall Wednesday afternoon. "An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the release of inmate Dexter A. Davis is being conducted by the department's Internal Affairs Bureau."
He faces a possible life in prison for the attempted murder, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9. He's scheduled to be back in court next month for the escape charge.
