Published: November 25, 2009 08:50 am      

Wrongly released cousin remains at large

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

Wesley Whitman, who was in the process of being bailed out of the Laurel County jail Saturday, has been charged with second-degree escape after jail employees mistakenly released his cousin, Nicholas Whitman.

According to court records, Terry Witt, a deputy jailer, initiated the charges claiming that Wesley “helped in the escape of his cousin Nicholas by allowing him to report to booking to sign a bond to be released.”

A pre-trial hearing for Wesley Whitman, 23, is set for Dec. 1.

Wesley Whitman had been jailed after he was arrested on a bench warrant, about three years old, issued when he had been cited for driving under the influence.

His girlfriend of seven years said she thought that incident had happened near Lily in Laurel County.

Dana Reed, 23, said in a telephone interview Tuesday that they have been in a relationship since they were about 16 and have three children, two boys and a girl. They live in Big Stone Gap, Va.

Wesley and Nicholas Whitman were distant cousins who rarely saw each other, she said.

Wesley worked as a coal miner ordinarily but was hoping to get a job operating a gas well drill when he got back to Big Stone Gap after being bailed out, she said.

Nicholas Whitman, his cousin, was awaiting trial for making methamphetamine and trafficking in the drug.

He was jailed on Oct. 14, and was set for a court appearance on Dec. 21.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Nicholas Whitman was still on the run. The jail issued a press release Monday saying Nicholas Whitman was “inadvertently released” from the jail.

Dana Reed had come to London with her father, James, to bail Wesley out and take him back to Big Stone Gap.

Bail had been just over $700, which he had paid before Wesley was to be released. After the incident and it was determined that Wesley would not be released, he said the money was not returned and he had not been issued a receipt when he paid it.

He said he and Dana had arrived in London at the jail about 3 p.m. and began the transaction.

After paying the bail money, they had to wait a couple of hours for Wesley to be released.

At the release time, they were sent to the rear of the jail and were waiting in his car. While they waited, he saw Nicholas walk past the car, he said.

Reed said a deputy jailer came to him and said, “I let the wrong one loose, didn’t I?”

He added, “That boy was gone. They had a bunch of people running around out there.”

Reed described the incident then as overflowing with law officers including state police.

Three times, Reed said, jail employees told him the mix-up was not their fault and told him they were going to release Wesley. They didn’t.

Nicholas had not been located by Monday afternoon.