The Clayton County jail in Jonesboro, Georgia, went into lockdown when convicted killer Julian Brooks Deloach was deemed missing. After about twelve hours, the police discovered they had accidentally left the convicted killer in a courthouse holding cell overnight due to a miscommunication.
Missing Convicted Killer Sends Jail Into Lockdown
Deloach was convicted of murder in 1984 and was granted parole in 2010, which was revoked when he committed a misdemeanor, which was “basically dismissed in state court.” He was brought to the courthouse from the county jail and was accidentally left overnight in the holding cell after appearing in court last month. Shortly after the courthouse closed, officers discovered that Deloach was nowhere to be found during a headcount.
“There was a mix-up of who was going to take the inmate down, and ultimately, he was left inside the holding cell,” Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen told WSBTV investigative reporter Mark Winne. Officers immediately put the jail into lockdown and began frantically searching for the convicted killer. The hunt eventually led them to review camera footage from the courthouse, which revealed that Deloach was inadvertently left behind.
“They searched every cell, every area of the jail, searching for him. Ultimately, by the time we reviewed cameras and backtracked and took us back into the courtroom where he was at, ultimately, of course, hours had passed,” Allen said.
The courthouse holding cells are in a secure area, but are not intended to hold people overnight because they are not supervised overnight. The holding cells do not have beds—only a bench, toilet, and a sink. The last officer left the courthouse around 6 p.m., and Deloach was discovered in the cell around 7 a.m. the next morning.
The sheriff is taking action against the four officers involved in the mix-up, suggesting that two correctional sergeants be demoted and two deputies be suspended. Three of the officers have waived their rights to their hearings and accepted their punishment.
