Steven Robbins, Indiana murder convict, mistakenly released from custody in Chicago, police say

(CBS/AP) CHICAGO - Police mistakenly released a convicted murderer from custody in Chicago, where he was facing a drug charge on Tuesday while serving a 60-year prison sentence in Indiana.

Indiana Department of Corrections officials said police are searching for 44-year-old Steven Robbins after he was sent to Cook County Circuit Court to face the drug charge. The charge was dropped, "but for reasons yet unknown, the offender was released by Illinois authorities without being held for return," the department said in a news release.

The Cook County Sheriff's Office said it was investigating how Robbins was released. Robbins was serving a decades-long sentence for murder and weapon convictions in Indiana. He started serving the sentence in October 2004 and his earliest projected release date was more than 16 years from now on June 29, 2029.

Both Illinois and Indiana issued arrest warrants for Robbins. Officials in both states are asking for the public's help to apprehend him.

Information about Robbins' murder case wasn't immediately available Thursday evening.