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Court Officials Blame Lapses For Early Release Of Kirkersville Shooter

heavy.com

Licking County Municipal Court officials say lapses in protocol and judgment led to a domestic violence suspect being released early from jail weeks before he killed his alleged assault victim, a police chief and a third person. 43-year-old Thomas Hartless killed himself after the fatal shootings last week at a nursing home in Kirkersville. Hartless was freed in April after his latest domestic violence case. The court's probation department reviewed how his case was handled and is changing procedures after finding errors were made. Those included a lack of checks and balances in the early-release process. Hartless wasn't supposed to have weapons, but a probation officer never checked his home, where authorities later found over 60 guns.
 

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