Forgetting your phone or wallet is one thing, but forgetting a convicted killer? That’s exactly what happened at Clayton County Jail in Georgia. The facility went into full lockdown after officers realized Julian Brooks Deloach hadn’t returned from a court appearance. No, he didn’t escape. Deloach wasn’t even arrested because he killed someone this time. His original conviction dates back to 1984, and he was granted parole in 2010. His recent arrest was related to a misdemeanor, not a violent crime.
Even so, having a missing prisoner is never ideal. The reason Deloach went missing was due to a mix-up caused by miscommunication over which officers were responsible for transporting him back to jail. Instead of being taken back, he was mistakenly left in a courthouse holding cell overnight. While the area was secure, those cells aren’t designed for overnight stays and lacked proper bedding and supervision after court hours.
When jail staff realized Deloach was missing, panic set in. The facility went into lockdown, and officers searched the entire jail. It wasn’t until the next day that they found Deloach still sitting in the courthouse cell, right where they had forgotten him.
Following the incident, Sheriff Levon Allen announced disciplinary action against the officers who were responsible. Two correctional sergeants would be demoted, and two deputies would receive suspensions. Three of the officers chose to accept the punishment without using their right to a disciplinary hearing.
This was definitely an embarrassing and potentially dangerous mistake. It’s honestly lucky the convicted killer didn’t manage to escape, or things could’ve gotten a whole lot worse. Even so, many people weren’t impressed by the incident, questioning how something like this could even happen. “And these people have guns and badges. Worry,” one Redditor remarked. Others took the chance to poke fun at the Georgia officers for their blunder, with one user jokingly adding:
“Sir, we’ve checked every cell.”
“Did you check the one we put him in?”
“…no.”
Some users gave credit to the sheriff for actually holding the officers accountable. “Seems like a punishment worthy of the offense, which is rare when it comes to the police. Other than causing a day of stress at the jail, seems like no real harm was done,” one user noted. Still, others felt this was a rare case of accountability in law enforcement. “A cop taking accountability? Must be an alternate universe,” another user joked.
