Georgia’s Department of Corrections is conducting an internal investigation after a man sentenced in November to 30 years in prison without parole for a fatal stabbing was mistakenly placed in a transitional housing facility, then absconded from his work release program.
Melvin Barkley, 36, of Carrollton, was erroneously housed in the Atlanta Transitional Center in Midtown based on a prior sentence, a GDC spokeswoman confirmed. He disappeared after his work release program last week and was at large for about five days until his capture in North Carolina on Wednesday.
He was previously convicted of theft by deception and theft by receiving stolen property, and he agreed to a plea deal in the stabbing case while serving his sentence for those prior charges.
Barkley pleaded guilty to the charge of voluntary manslaughter Nov. 9, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Less than two weeks later, he was transferred to the ATC, where he was scheduled to serve the final months of his previous sentence. Residents of the ATC work at off-site jobs and stay at the facility outside of work hours.
“Offenders must be disciplinary-free for a minimum of 90 days, have the mental and physical capacity to work and hold a job, and be within 12-15 months of their tentative parole month or maximum release date,” GDC representatives told Channel 2 Action News.
The GDC did not receive the paperwork for Barkley’s voluntary manslaughter conviction and the details of his new sentence until Dec. 1, the department spokeswoman said. At that point, he should have been removed from the ATC and transferred back to a more secure prison facility.
Instead, Barkley continued to reside at the ATC for two more months. On Feb. 2, he did not return from his work release program, prompting the GDC to send a public alert to be on the lookout for him. He was located by the U.S. Marshals Service five days later in Franklin, North Carolina, just over the Georgia border in the Nantahala National Forest.
“The GDC is conducting a review to determine if any internal or external breakdowns occurred as it relates to protocols and policy,” the department spokeswoman said. “Should any failures be identified, we will ensure any individual(s) involved will be held accountable.”
Barkley was convicted of killing an acquaintance, 23-year-old Tyler Waters, during a fight in 2018. He has also served time for other violent crimes, including aggravated assault and making terroristic threats or acts.
“I’m very glad Barkley has been apprehended without hurting anyone else, to my knowledge,” said Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Herb Cranford, whose office prosecuted Barkley. “I’m particularly relieved for the victim’s family. I can’t imagine how traumatizing this incident has been for them. ... I’m confident (the Department of Corrections) leadership is going to take appropriate steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Barkley was booked into the Macon County Detention Center in North Carolina to await extradition to Georgia.
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