(CNN) A 28-year-old Florida man facing a first-degree murder charge was inadvertently allowed to walk free after a lesser homicide count was dismissed, leaving Broward County authorities scrambling to not only find him but also determine who should take the blame.

Eric Alexander Vail Jr. initally had been locked up on a charge of second-degree murder, which was filed on January 29, according to the Broward County Clerk of Courts.

Police accused him of using a AK-47 in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Wadarius Harris in October, CNN affiliate WFOR-TV reported.

On Tuesday -- as jail and court officials along with prosecutors sought to assign blame -- the sheriff's office said it was still trying to locate the defendant. "Our focus remains on apprehending this dangerous criminal."

A grand jury indicted Vail on a first-degree murder charge on April 3 and he was ordered held without bond, according to a statement from the clerk's office. The defendant pleaded not guilty at arraignment on April 9, with a calender call hearing set for last Thursday.

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