Man at center of large Northland manhunt mistakenly released from jail

January 29, 2026

Matt McConico,

DULUTH, Minn. – In September, Michael Todd Hart walked away from jail, which led to a large manhunt. About four months later, Hart walked away from another jail when he should have been in custody – but this time, jailers told him to go. Hart called FOX 21, saying he was out and it was apparently an accident.

Michael Todd Hart

We asked him if he thinks he’ll be charged for escape. Hart said, “I don’t think. I don’t, I don’t think they’ll try to charge me anything, though. I don’t think they can legally like, I feel like, I feel like, that’s, it’s their mess up.”

It appears he is correct.

The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office asked for a new warrant to be issued for Hart on January 29. The request said, “On January 21, 2026, after [Hart’s] plea hearing, he was mistakenly released from custody.” The filing from the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office said they needed the new warrant filed for Hart because, “if [Hart] turns himself in, the jail can book [Hart] without a warrant in place.”

Hart tells FOX 21 he even attended a court hearing via Zoom for his Hibbing case since he has been out of jail. Hart says he really wants to move forward and put all of his mistakes behind him.

Michael Todd Hart

(Itasca County Jail)

This recent string all started back in facing two counts of Burglary in the First Degree,

Hart then walked away from the Northeast Regional Corrections Center (NERCC) on September 23, 2025, when we was awaiting trial for the Hibbing case. He was eventually captured on October 7, 2025, at a Cohasset home.

His capture in Cohasset, Itasca County, is apparently the linchpin to his accidental release. When arrested, Itasca County Prosecutors charged Hart with four crimes, including a drug crime and fighting with law enforcement. He also had two cases still open in St. Louis County – the Hibbing break-in and the escape. Hart thinks there was confusion within the court about whether he should be held for the Hibbing case, the escape case, or fighting with deputies upon his capture.

Hart later pled guilty to two counts of assault from his Itasca County arrest on January 21; Sentencing is slated for early May. Hart says a short time after his guilty plea, jail guards in Itasca County let him go. Hart says he was confused by the move. He told FOX 21 he even asked Itasca jailers if a deputy from St. Louis County was coming to get him. He says Itasca County jailers did not see any warrants for Hart, and they allowed him to leave the jail. Which he did.

Court records show Hart’s warrant for his arrest on the escape charges was “recalled” on January 14. It was the same time Hart had a court hearing and was assigned a public defender. He is slated to be in court for an Omnibus Hearing on February 10.

rant status

We asked Hart why he ran from NERCC. He told us her was unhappy with his public defender and wanted to get money for another attorney. He said he was doing lumber work, cutting spruce tops for holiday decorations, “I made 900 bucks in two nights… I was on the right track.”

Hart did not tell us where he was or how to call him again.