Convicted killer mistakenly released from Georgia jail captured in Florida
Family reacts to Kathan Guzman's recapture
Two weeks after deputies mistakenly released him, a convicted murderer is back in custody. Authorities arrested Kathan Guzman in Florida on Friday morning. The Clayton County Jail mistakenly released him on March 27 thanks to a sheriff’s office error.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A convicted killer is back in custody weeks after he was mistakenly released from the Clayton County Jail.
Kathan Guzman was sentenced to life in prison for strangling his girlfriend, but he was released due to what officials have said was a paperwork error.
Kathan Guzman
The backstory:
Guzman was arrested in August 2022. He was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and necrophilia.
U.S. Marshals capture murderer released by mistake
A convicted killer who was accidentally released from jail is back behind bars. Kathan Guzman walked out of the Clayton County Jail on March 27. U.S. Marshals arrested him in Florida.
Clayton County Police accused Guzman of strangling 19-year-old Delila Grayson, his ex-girlfriend. Grayson was found dead in a bathtub at a Webb Road home.
Investigators said Guzman got into an argument with Grayson which ended in him choking her to death.
Kathan Guzman (Clayton County Sheriff's Office)
Guzman was convicted last year of felony murder and sentenced to life.
He was in custody at the jail until March 27, when officials say he was accidentally released.
":Around noon, on April 8, 2025, the Victim Assistance Unit of my office was notified by the Georgia Office of Victim Services that they were unable to locate Guzman in the Georgia penal system," Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley said in a statement. "My office checked the Clayton County Jail system where it appeared that Guzman had been released. My Victim Assistance Program Manager immediately alerted the Sheriff and me. Once the erroneous release was confirmed by the Sheriff’s Office, we contacted the victim’s mother and have remained in communication with her."
What we know:
On Friday, the Clayton County District Attorney told FOX 5 that Guzman had been found in Florida.
According to officials, U.S. Marshals found Guzman at his mother's home.
Jailers accidentally release convicted killer
A convicted killer accidentally gets a get out of jail free card. Now that man is at large, and the victim’s family is terrified.
Authorities have not shared any other details or said if he will additional charges.
What they're saying:
"It's scary to know that someone could just be released because of a mistake," Christina Grayson, Delila’s mother, told FOX 5 earlier this week. "And then we wait for two weeks. We don't alert anyone."
Grayson said she learned of the error more than a week after Guzman walked free and hasn't been able to sleep since hearing the news
"The DA promised me that he would never get out," she said. "They looked me in my face, and they promised me that he would never get out. I had nothing to worry about. And he's out free."
What's next:
Guzman is expected to be transported back to the Clayton County Jail to serve the rest of his life sentence.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Clayton County District Attorney's Office and previous FOX 5 reporting.