A Georgia man convicted of murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend was mistakenly released from jail and authorities didn't realize the error until nearly two weeks later.
In late 2024, Kathan Guzman was found guilty of felony murder and aggravated assault for the 2022 killing of his girlfriend, Delila Grayson. Prosecutors said Guzman strangled Delila in their apartment, moved her body to the bathroom, and waited more than 10 hours before alerting anyone.
Following his conviction, Guzman was ordered to serve a life sentence in the Georgia Department of Corrections.
On March 27 around 4:49 p.m., despite being sentenced, Guzman was accidentally released from Clayton County Jail. Officials failed to notice his absence for nearly two weeks.
The error was only uncovered on April 8, when the Clayton County District Attorney's Office reached out to the sheriff's office to inquire about Guzman's whereabouts. Once alerted, Sheriff Levon Allen initiated an urgent search, which led to the involvement of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Guzman was found and arrested without incident on Friday, April 11, by the U.S. Marshals at his mother's home in Ocoee, Florida. He was booked into Orange County Jail and is awaiting extradition back to Georgia.
Sheriff Allen confirmed an internal investigation is underway to determine how the release occurred, with possible disciplinary actions—including employee terminations—on the table once the inquiry concludes.
