OPA-LOCKA, FLA. (WSVN) – Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies are seeking the public’s help in finding a murder suspect who was mistakenly released from jail after being convicted on a double murder in Opa-locka.
Deputies say 60-year-old James Edward Daniels is behind the December 2020 murder of two people in the area of 18th Avenue and Service Road.
According to detectives, Daniels had already been caught and was serving time for the crime. However, at some point over the weekend, he was released from jail.
MDSO deputies learned he wasn’t supposed to be released and is now locating Daniels with the help of U.S. Marshals and the FBI.
In a statement, the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department cited “a procedural error” as the reason for his release.
The Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department is committed to the highest standards of public safety, transparency, and accountability. On Saturday, September 27, 2025, Inmate James Daniels, 60, was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center due to a procedural error. The top priority of MDCR is to ensure his swift apprehension and safe return to custody. All available resources are being utilized, including the assistance of our local and federal law enforcement partners. A full internal affairs investigation is underway to review the circumstances surrounding this incident and any potential failures to follow departmental policy. MDCR is committed to ensuring that those responsible for failing to follow policy are held accountable to the fullest extent possible. Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, no further details are available at this time.
Anyone who knows Daniels’ whereabouts is requested to contact Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Detective C. Santos at (305) 471-2400 or Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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