A 20-year-old Columbus man wanted for murder has been arrested in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., after he was mistakenly released from prison.
Nathaniel Lee Major Wilder Jr., of 1508 15th Ave. N., was released Nov. 3 from a correctional facility in Walnut Grove, despite facing a capital murder charge in Lowndes County.
Wilder is accused of fatally shooting Cornelius Cunningham in the head while the victim was sitting outside his 2112 14th Ave. N. apartment Sept. 18, 2008.
The defendant”s absence was discovered after he failed to appear for his trial in Lowndes County Circuit Court earlier this month.
Wilder, who had a no-release order, had earlier been sentenced to four years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for a felony committed in Hinds County.
No one was immediately available in MDOC who could explain why Wilder was released.
After interviewing several people close to Wilder, U.S. Marshals in the Ft. Walton Beach area tracked him to a trailer park, where they took him into custody without incident Nov. 23.
The defendant should be brought back to Lowndes County within a couple of weeks for his trial, according to a statement released by the Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office.
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