What did Desiree Oliver do? Girlfriend charged as fugitive Kevin Mason captured after two weeks on the run

On Wednesday, September 27, murder suspect Kevin Mason was captured after he was accidentally released due to a clerical error. His girlfriend, Desiree Oliver, was also taken into custody a week ago by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for assisting the criminal. The arrest came in the wake of the manhunt for Mason, who was wanted on three Minnesota warrants, including a 2021 shooting, a parole violation, and possession of firearms.

Authorities arrested Desiree Oliver on September 20, 2023. The 29-year-old nurse works in Carmel and is currently in custody for offering transportation to Mason so as to keep him from being caught. As per USA TODAY, authorities apprehended Mason at about 2 pm local time in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Desiree Oliver, fugitive Kevin Mason's alleged girlfriend accused of helping him evade police arrest

The chain of events began when Kevin Mason, 28, was accidentally released from an Indianapolis prison on September 13, 2023. Officers revealed that there was some clerical error that led to the incident. Extensive searches were conducted to find the fugitive, and finally, on Wednesday, September 27, authorities apprehended him in the 900 block of Summit Ave. in St. Paul.

Mason was initially booked into prison on September 11, after he was charged with being involved in a 2021 fatal shooting in Minneapolis. Following his accidental release, Desiree Oliver picked him up near the Community Justice Campus around 11:45 am on September 13. Officers spoke with Oliver the same day and inquired whether the 28-year-old was at the former's home.

FOX59 reported that the U.S. Marshals and the Dakota County SWAT team obtained a "body-only search warrant” for a residence in south St. Paul, Minnesota. Based on surveillance footage, they concluded that Mason might be inside. Sheriff Kerry J. Forestal issued a release, in which he said,

"Our federal partners have kept us informed throughout the entire process. We are truly thankful for their assistance and wide resources– most specifically, their task force partnerships with local law enforcement agencies that have allowed them to pursue Kevin Mason throughout the country."

Forestal further expressed gratitude for the agencies involved in the extensive search that finally led to the arrest of Mason. Meanwhile, his alleged girlfriend, Desiree Oliver, was also arrested on September 20 for helping him escape arrest. She currently faces a Level 5 felony count of assisting a criminal. Authorities stated that she was particularly shocked when she saw that Mason was released.

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Oliver claimed that she did not know Mason's real name until September 11

When police interviewed Oliver on September 20, she said that she met Mason on Instagram. Apparently, she knew him by the name "Knowledge" and allegedly only got to know his real identity on September 11, when cops arrested him. The probable cause affidavit stated that the two had been on call when Mason was in prison.

"Jail calls between Mason and Oliver would have made Oliver aware why he was currently in custody," the court document stated.

Apart from the calls, authorities have found no other way through which Desiree Oliver would know the severity of the charges that Mason was facing. According to authorities, she allegedly went to Walmart to buy men's clothing. She also bought a new cell phone, as per WTHR.

Forestal said in a statement,

"She has not cooperated. We arrested her today at 2 o'clock."

If found guilty, Desiree might face imprisonment for up to six years.