Murder Suspect Jonathan Pitts Released From Dallas Jail After Computer Data Loss In City

CBS Dallas/Fort Worth

August 17, 2021

He isn’t completely free, but a murder suspect in Dallas is no longer behind bars. Jonathan Pitts was released from jail Monday after his trial was postponed when police revealed they lost a massive amount of criminal data — including files potentially tied to Pitts’ case.

A masked Pitts wore an ankle monitor as he walked from the Frank Crowley Courts Building adjoining Dallas County’s main jail, the Dallas Morning News reported. The newspaper said he did not respond to its reporter’s questions.

The release of Pitts, who is charged in the 2019 shooting of Shun Handy, was ordered as authorities race to determine how many cases may have had evidence vanish in the eight-terabyte data loss. Prosecutors told state District Judge Ernie White last week that they needed more time to work with police to audit the materials in Pitts’ case to determine if anything was lost.

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