Gunman recaptured after mistaken early release

By BRIAN ROGERS
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Two-and-a-half months after being freed because of a clerical error, Willie Joe McAdams was arrested Thursday and is expected to be booked into prison to serve at least 16 more years of a 40-year sentence for shooting a Houston man in the head, blinding him in one eye.

When McAdams was sentenced in 2004 to 40 years in prison for shooting Cedric Thomas in the head, Thomas thought it was a just punishment.

While enjoying himself at a bar during the Fourth of July weekend, Thomas was shocked when McAdams approached him, shook his hand and apologized.

"What if he still had malice in his heart and wanted to kill me," said Thomas, who lost an eye in the March 2003 sports bar shooting.

McAdams was released from prison 36 years early after serving four years of his 40 year sentence because of a "clerical error," according to Michelle Lyons, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman. McAdams was released May 4.

Lyons said that the mistake was "human error" when keying in McAdams personal information and punishment time during intake in 2004.

Lyons said McAdams was arrested at Hillcroft and Main during a traffic stop after being followed from his home Thursday afternoon.

Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force detective C.J. Mitchell said he and other officers began watching McAdams' home Thursday morning.

Lyons said she expects him to be put back in prison to serve the rest of his time. He will be eligible for parole in 16 years.

Someone getting out of prison because of a clerical error is a rare occurrence, Lyons said. When it does happen, the situation is that an inmate is requested to come to another jurisdiction for other crimes, but TDCJ doesn't get the correct paperwork.

"We let out hundreds of  inmates a day,'' Lyons said. "It usually goes off without a hitch."

Lyons said the agency was made aware of the mistake Wednesday. TDCJ Inspector General John Moriarty said his office — an internal affairs division — is investigating how McAdams was released.

"I can think of no legal reason he wouldn't have to go back,'' said his appellate attorney, Dick Wheelan.

By statute, McAdams, who was convicted twice for drug offenses, has to complete half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. Because it is an aggravated offense, he has 16 more years to serve.

Although he was surprised at seeing McAdams, earlier this month Thomas had heard rumors that McAdams was out, in early May, his friend Clarence Walker said.

Walker, a former reporter for America's Most Wanted magazine, said Thomas called him about three months ago and asked him to check on the rumors. At that time, nothing came of the search and Thomas' concerns were discounted.

After McAdams approached Thomas and shook his hand, Walker contacted Harris County District Attorney investigator Johnny Bonds, who figured out what happened.

Bonds searched the records to find that the "somebody at TDCJ wrote 4 instead of 40."

"He's not even on parole," Bonds said. He said TDCJ discharged his sentence as completed.

"Somebody dropped the ball, that's for sure," Bonds said.

 

This was found at The Houston Chronicle.

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