Felon Given Coronavirus Jailbreak Arrested, Charged With First Degree Murder
Richard Moorhead
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A Colorado convict who was freed from prison while serving a seven-year sentence for armed robbery has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Denver woman named Heather Perry.
Perry’s body was found in an alleyway. Police used surveillance camera footage to track Cornelius Haney to the crime scene. Haney had only been out of the state correctional system for less than a month before being arrested and charged with the crime. He’s also facing charges of illegal possession of a weapon, theft, and second-degree kidnapping.
Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis issued a statement on Perry’s release, admitting that the man was freed from the state correctional system as a result of his coronavirus jailbreak executive order, but making an excuse out of his supposedly imminent release from prison through the state parole system.
“Mr. Haney was released due to special needs parole criteria. When looking at special needs parole criteria, the Department of Corrections’ medical staff reviews offenders for risk factors related to COVID… Haney had a mandatory release date of 8-22-2020 and would have been required to be released at that time regardless of the Parole Board decision.”
Haney isn’t the first criminal to utilize his coronavirus jailbreak opportunity to allegedly commit crimes. A California sex offender who was released from the Orange County jail system despite a warning from a prosecutor that he was a “high risk” offender was busted for exposing himself to staff members at a parole system. There are even more risky sex offenders who have been released in the county.
At this point, there have been enough jailbreaks from state and county officials in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The corrections system is essential to keep duly tried and convicted criminals separated from the public, and it’s time that authorities refocus upon its purpose.
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