A convicted killer in Georgia who strangled a woman to death was mistakenly released from jail due to staff not reading paperwork carefully.
Authorities with the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office said the man, identified as Kathan Guzman, was accidentally freed from Clayton County Jail on March 27 before he could be sent to prison, Fox 5 reported on Wednesday.
Following his arrest in August 2022, Guzman was charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and necrophilia after strangling his ex-girlfriend, Delila Grayson, 19, whose body was later found at a residence on Webb Road.
Images show the man and the victim in the case:
Convicted killer Kathan Guzman mistakenly released from Georgia prison — as ‘petrified’ victim’s family fear for their safety https://t.co/MUY3eod8QT pic.twitter.com/QjY1dQFdZL
— New York Post (@nypost) April 10, 2025
He was convicted in 2024 of felony murder and sentenced to life behind bars. However, he is reportedly still at large following the error.
Now, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office is working to recapture him, per WSB-TV.
The victim’s mother, Christina Grayson, said she has been worried ever since learning of his release, noting he strangled the young woman to death in their apartment because she was trying to break up with him.
She commented, “The DA promised me that he would never get out. 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.”
She also claimed Guzman is a trained mixed martial arts fighter who appears friendly, adding that no one is safe while he is walking the streets.
Per the WSB-TV report, Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen said the error was due to a training failure and lack of attention from his employees.
“He said staff looked at a court document that showed a motion to nolle prosse, or not prosecute,” the article noted. “The sheriff said if they had looked further, they would have seen a necrophilia charge was nolle prossed, and the jury convicted Guzman on felony murder and aggravated assault.”
According to the sheriff, law enforcement did not alert the public to the situation because they did not want Guzman to know they were trying to find him.
“Grayson said her husband took their daughter’s death so hard, he committed suicide on the anniversary of her death. She said this just adds more pain on top of her grief. She is concerned Guzman could be headed back where she lives in Florida,” the WSB-TV article said.
The Fox 5 report said if anyone sees Guzman or knows where he is they should call 911 for help.
Meanwhile, Grayson told 11 Alive, “Considering seeing what he did to Delilah, I would say that the public is in imminent danger. He would have gotten away with taking her life if it wasn’t for the neighbors beneath them coming out and taking a glimpse of him.”
