Two Florida murder convicts mistakenly released from prison due to forged documents, officials say

(CBS/AP) ORLANDO, Fla. - Two men convicted on murder charges were mistakenly released from a Florida prison because of forged documents, according to officials. They also believe the men may be in the Orlando area, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office says Joseph Jenkins and Charles Walker were released separately from a prison in the Florida Panhandle in late September and early October. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement learned about the mistake Tuesday.

Walker was serving a life sentence on a second-degree murder conviction. Jenkins was serving a prison sentence for a 1998 first-degree murder conviction. According to the sheriff's office, both convictions stemmed from crimes committed in Orange County.

The Florida Department of Corrections says the men were released based on forged documents filed with the court to alter their sentences.

State and local authorities are searching for the men and investigating how they got released.

"These two individuals are out. They shouldn't be, and we want to get them back in custody," said Orange County sheriff's Captain Angelo Nieves, according to WKMG. "This shouldn't have happened, but it did, and our concern is to get these individuals into custody."

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the inmates is asked to contact police.