It looks like it may have happened again.
A man recently released on parole from the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility was reportedly dropped off in Piketon with no visible transportation, no shoes, and his belongings stuffed into a garbage bag.
The situation is strikingly similar to a case SCDN reported on several years ago, when a recently paroled registered sex offender was dropped off in Portsmouth and left to wander the streets as a homeless person.
That man repeatedly contacted police and told officers he was on parole and was supposed to be somewhere else. However, he had no apparent way to get there.
Barefoot Outside a Piketon Business
According to social media posts, the latest incident began when a GoBus dropped a man off in front of a Piketon business.
Pictures shared online showed the shirtless man sitting barefoot on the ground outside the business while holding a large garbage bag that appeared to contain his belongings.
Several residents said they found his presence suspicious and began trying to determine who he was.
Social media users identified the man as Lowe. His appearance reportedly matched publicly available prison information showing his criminal charges and his recent release on parole.
Records indicate Lowe was released from the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility on June 26. His parole supervision was listed through a Cleveland-area parole office, suggesting Cleveland was likely his intended destination.
That leaves several unanswered questions.
Was Lowe simply waiting in Piketon for another ride to Cleveland? Had transportation been arranged but delayed? And why was he apparently left alone outside a local business before the next part of his trip was secured?
Police Reportedly Picked Him Up
Witnesses said Piketon police later picked Lowe up.
However, being placed in a police cruiser does not necessarily mean he was arrested. Officers may have been helping him reach transportation, taking him somewhere safe, or checking his parole status.
A review of the Pike County court system did not show any new criminal charges filed against him in connection with the incident.
There is also no indication that Lowe committed a crime while sitting outside the business.
The concern is how a man could walk out of prison under parole supervision and apparently end up barefoot, shirtless, and alone in an unfamiliar community with his possessions in a garbage bag.
Similar Incident in Portsmouth
SCDN previously reported on another man released from the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility who was dropped off in Portsmouth despite being assigned to parole supervision elsewhere.
That man was a registered sex offender and had no apparent place to stay. He contacted Portsmouth police several times and told officers that he was on parole and believed he was supposed to be somewhere else.
The incident raised concerns about how inmates are transported and supervised during the critical hours immediately after their release.
Previous Release Ended in Crime Spree
Lowe’s reported experience was far less dramatic than what happened after another man walked out of the same prison three years ago.
Shortly after his release on parole, Zachary Boone stole a vehicle, robbed a gas station, and robbed a man of his cellphone, according to police.
Boone also allegedly tried to run the victim over and led Waverly officers on a pursuit that ended in a crash on Second Street.
Police arrested Boone on robbery and assault charges—the same types of crimes that had sent him to prison in the first place.
The Boone case showed what can happen when a newly released inmate has no stable transportation, housing, or immediate supervision.
There is no allegation that Lowe committed any similar offense in Piketon. However, his apparent arrival outside a business with no shoes, no shirt, and his belongings in a garbage bag raises the same question once again:
What plan was in place when he walked out of prison?
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