A convicted black murderer with an extensive criminal history was accidentally released from custody while awaiting a court appearance in South Carolina, according to police

Detectives are now hunting African-American Thomas Aaron Whitlock, who was brought to York County Detention Center for a hearing on a drug possession charge. The 31-year-old, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009, was let go by mistake – but it took authorities almost 24 hours to realize their error. Whitlock was charged with killing Jamie Thompson, who was found shot in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June 2009. Thompson died two months later but Whitlock was not arrested until April 2010, when FBI agents found him hiding underneath a house in Dallas, Texas. He was convicted of second-degree murder and possession of a gun in May 2011 and was sentenced to between 11 and 14 years. South Carolina records show that Whitlock had previously been convicted on assault and battery, burglary, robbery and drug charges.