When a convicted murderer was discovered to be missing from his cell, a Georgia jail went into lockdown and an overnight manhunt began — until the prisoner was found at the courthouse, where he'd been left due to a "mix-up."
Julian Brooks Deloach, who was convicted of murder in 1984 and is currently serving time after his parole was revoked, had been transferred from state prison to Clayton County Jail due to a recent misdemeanor charge. After a court appearance in April, jail officials failed to bring him back, triggering a full facility lockdown when a headcount revealed he was missing.
"We searched every cell, every area of the jail," Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen told WSB-TV, adding that the search continued through the night.
Deloach was found around 7 am the next morning — alone in a secure but unsupervised courthouse holding cell with only benches, a sink, and a toilet. "There is no one actually monitoring that particular cell if there was a distress call," Allen said.
"There was a mix-up of who was going to take the inmate down," Allen explained, identifying two jail correctional sergeants and two court deputies who were involved.
Disciplinary action is pending, with demotions and suspensions proposed by the sheriff. Three of the four officers involved waived their right to a hearing.
