51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� The downtown 51黑料 jail released a woman this month who was headed to prison for a homicide.

And when she realized the mistake, and tried to turn herself in, jail officials repeatedly refused to take her back, her lawyers said Thursday.

Jazzmyn Watford, 25, pleaded guilty Dec. 5 to voluntary manslaughter and domestic assault. She admitted to killing her girlfriend鈥檚 best friend.

As part of a deal with prosecutors, she was set to be sentenced Thursday to four to seven years in prison.

But on Dec. 5, Watford鈥檚 lawyer, David Rosener, got a call from his client. She told him she鈥檇 been unexpectedly released.

It was a cold night, Rosener said. She was out on the street, wearing the pajamas she was in when she was arrested. She didn鈥檛 have money or any personal belongings, she told him. She asked her lawyer what she should do.

鈥淚t was rather curious,鈥� he said.

At his advice, Watford tried to turn herself back in. But the jail wouldn鈥檛 take her, Rosener said. Jail workers suggested he get a judge鈥檚 order.

So the next day, Rosener roamed the halls of the 51黑料鈥� downtown courthouses, trying to find someone who could sign an order on a Friday. He took Watford to lunch at Hodak鈥檚 Restaurant & Bar on Gravois Avenue.

Eventually, two judges 鈥� Clinton Wright and Barbara Peebles 鈥� ordered Watford back to jail, court documents say.

But Rosener still couldn鈥檛 get the jail to take her, he said.

Around 5:30 p.m., he marched Watford up to the Circuit Attorney鈥檚 Office.

Finally, a team of bicycle cops came to take her back to jail, he said.

鈥淚 was just proud of her that she did the right thing,鈥� he said.

Conner Kerrigan, spokesman for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, said the jail received paperwork from the 51黑料 Sheriff鈥檚 Office, which is in charge of alerting the jail when detainees can be released, saying Watford did not need to be held in jail. Sheriff Vernon Betts said he didn鈥檛 know what happened here.

Watford鈥檚 story marks the latest time the downtown jail has come under scrutiny.

Lawyers have repeatedly complained they can鈥檛 get access to their clients. Detainees and their families say they can鈥檛 get adequate health care. Activists have railed against a string of inmate deaths.

On Thursday, Watford was sentenced to seven years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and domestic assault in the death of 25-year-old Amora Brown.

Brown had shown up March 30 at a home in the 3300 block of Arsenal Street to help Watford鈥檚 girlfriend, who said Watford was beating her.

Family members called Brown鈥檚 death 鈥渟enseless鈥� at the sentencing Thursday, and some expressed frustration with what they called a short prison sentence.

鈥淲e just want justice,鈥� said Brown鈥檚 father, Randy Evins. 鈥淎nd we feel like we haven鈥檛 received it.鈥�