Missing murderer leads to changes in Nevada inmate tracking

In the wake of a convicted murderer spending a year unaccounted for, the Nevada Department of Corrections announced changes to its inmate tracking protocol.

Jeremy Kelly, now 43, was released by the federal Bureau of Prisons in 2022 instead of being sent back to the Department of Corrections, even though he still had time to serve on a state sentence.

Kelly had been released on parole in 2016 for his role in a 1996 killing, and was later arrested on a federal weapons and drug charge.

Kelly was 15 when he and two others were accused of killing 47-year-old Terry Dixon.

In a Thursday statement, prison officials said they would implement a two-step verification process “to prevent miscommunications or oversights when housing offenders between law enforcement agencies.”

When an inmate is sent to a new jurisdiction, prison staff will include a memo saying the inmate must be returned to the Department of Corrections before release, according to the statement.

In addition, staff will conduct periodic reviews and send reminders to other jurisdictions not to release the inmate.

Kelly was arrested last week on a fugitive warrant but was released on Wednesday after the Department of Corrections requested prosecutors withdraw the warrant.

Kelly is due to appear before the Nevada Parole Board in April, according to prison officials.

Contact David Wilson at dwilson@reviewjournal.com.