Louisa Man on the Lam After Erroneous Release From BSRDC

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

A Louisa man who was mistakenly released from the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center is still on the loose.

Authorities are still searching for Herbert Fletcher, 47, of Rockcastle Lane. Fletcher was being held on a $5,000 cash bond on charges of driving under the influence and shoplifting from an arrest in June.

Fletcher was released July 28, in what Commonwealth’s Attorney Matt Runyon believes may have been confusion on Fletcher’s current cash bond with a surety bond he had previously posted in an older criminal case.

“This $5,000 surety bond only applied to the 2023 charges, and did not stand good for the June 2026 arrests,” Runyon said. “A $5,000 cash bond was set by the judge for the DUI and shoplifting charges and Mr. Fletcher remained in Big Sandy due to his inability to pay this amount.”

The mistaken release was discovered Aug. 11, when Fletcher was due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on the June charges, according to Runyon.

“The court contacted jail officials to inquire where the $5,000 was that the defendant would have had to post before being released,” Runyon said. “And that is when the error was found and we became aware that Mr. Fletcher was no longer incarcerated.”

The court issued a bench warrant Aug. 11 ordering Fletcher held without bond. The order specifically states: “NO BOND, DUE TO BSRDC RELEASING DEF IN ERROR.”

Big Sandy Regional Detention Center Administrator Bryan Hansford reported that he accepts responsibility for the erroneous release and is taking steps to prevent it from happening again.

He further stated the jail already had measures in place that should have prevented the release however, an additional procedure was implemented Monday morning that should make another occurrence “nearly impossible.”

Runyon said he believed Fletcher was aware of the mistake when he left the facility knowing his cash bond wasn’t paid.

Anyone with information on Fletcher’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office at 606-638-4368 or Kentucky State Police Post 14 at 606-928-6421.