A 25-year-old man held at the Baltimore County Detention Center and wanted in Cecil County for second-degree murder escaped from jail guards Monday at around 6:30 p.m.
Inmate Billy Martin was working at the county’s Cockeysville landfill when he was able to “walk away” from the worksite without detection, said James O’Neill, administrator of the Baltimore County Department of Corrections.
Martin was serving a six-month sentence for misdemeanor theft of less than $500 and was not considered an escape risk, O’Neill said.
But jail officials were informed at 6:15 p.m. Monday that a Cecil County grand jury had indicted him on a charge of second-degree murder, according to O’Neill.
“Certainly until about 6:15 last night we had no reason to believe Mr. Martin was a risk,” O’Neill said.
Jail officials have obtained a warrant for his arrest, while police search for the inmate.
