A convicted murderer was on the loose after he was mistakenly released from custody in Chicago.
Steven Robbins, 44, was serving a 60-year sentence after he was convicted for a 2002 murder in Indianapolis. Robbins was freed Tuesday, January 29, 2013 because of an error by Chicago court and security officials.
Robbins was taken to Illinois on Tuesday for a hearing in Cook County for unrelated charges of using a weapon during a felony. Those charges were filed in 1992.
At the Tuesday hearing, those charges were dropped and Robbins was supposed to be returned to an Indiana prison to continue serving his 60-year sentence for the murder.
That did not happen.
Instead, Robbins was set free because of an apparent paperwork mistake that left officers unaware he was supposed to remain in jail.
The FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service and Chicago authorities were working with state police from Indiana and Illinois to search for Robbins.
“The sheriff has ordered an investigation into the facts and circumstances regarding his court appearance and release from custody,” the Cook County Sheriff’s Department said.
Robbins, 44, is 5-feet 5-inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. He has a tattoo of the name “Nicole” on the right side of his neck.
(ABC News and CNN contributed to this report.)
