Marion County deputies arrest woman believed to be hiding mistakenly released murder suspect
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal provided an update on the manhunt of mistakenly released murder suspect, Kevin Mason, and announced the arrest of a woman believed to be hiding Mason.
29-year-old Desiree Oliver was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon by Marion County sheriff’s deputies. She is facing charges for assisting a criminal. At the time of the conference, Forestal says Oliver was being interrogated by investigators.
Forestal said in his update that the sheriff’s office had been following Oliver since the day of Mason’s release.
“(Mason) was arrested on Sept. 11 and released on Sept. 13 at 11:05 a.m. We became aware that he was released around 5:30 p.m. that night. (Mason) called for a ride and we have been tracking that girlfriend since that point in time,” Forestal said.
According to Forestal, Oliver originally picked up Mason somewhere near the jail. Afterward, she obtained a new cell phone, men’s underwear, a travel kit, and men’s slippers. Forestal says that these behaviors are “the kind of deceptive behavior we’d expect from somebody when they’re assisting a criminal.”
On Monday, Forestal says, Oliver took her vehicle for an oil change and for tire repair “as though maybe she was going to travel again.” Later Monday night, investigators tracking Oliver followed her outside her normal area to the area of Southport Road and Emerson Avenue, an area that contains a lot of hotels.
Forestal adds that since Oliver’s arrest, she has not cooperated. A second woman, 25-year-old Chaznia Dawson, was with Oliver when she was taken into custody. Dawson is currently not under arrest.
Sheriff Forestal said that the sheriff’s department “(is) planning to do a more overt, uniformed operation.” Teams of law enforcement officers from Lawrence, Speedway, Beech Grove, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department will be going to locations Forestal says are under surveillance.
Anyone with information regarding Mason is asked to call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 317-327-7940.
The full press conference can be viewed here.
