Melvin Barkley, 36, failed to report back to the transitional facility he's been living in on Feb. 2, according to police.
A convicted killer in Georgia has gone missing from his work release program in Atlanta, according to authorities.
Melvin Barkley, 36, failed to report back to the transitional facility he's been living in on Feb. 2, according to police.
Transitional center residents are employed in outside jobs in the community but are at the center when not working, according to 11 ALIVE.
Barkley, a career criminal, is currently serving a 30-year sentence for a slew of crimes including voluntary manslaughter, is slated to potentially be released in April 2053, according to the Georgia Dept. of Corrections.
Barkley was sentenced without parole in Nov. 2023 after he pled guilty to killing Tyler Waters in May 2018. He was on a work-release program, according to District Attorney's Office for the Coweta Judicial Circuit.
It is unclear why Barkley was living at a transitional center after being sentenced to prison.
The Carrollton Police Department told 11 ALIVE it was made aware and is not clear yet about what happened and why Barkley was at a transitional center.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to the Georgia Dept. of Corrections for comment and in a statement via email a spokesperson said, "Melvin Barkley was assigned to the Atlanta Transitional Center on 11/21/23 based on his initial conviction of theft by deception and theft by receiving stolen property, with maximum release date of 7/22/24, which is an appropriate placement for the charge. He received a subsequent conviction on 11/9/23 for voluntary manslaughter and GDC received the paperwork for the new charge on 12/1/23, at which time Barkley should have been removed from the TC and transported back to state prison.The GDC is conducting a review to determine if any internal or external breakdowns occurred as it relates to protocols and policy. Should any failures be identified, we will ensure any individual(s) involved will be held accountable. Our Fugitive Unit is actively pursuing leads and we will provide an update upon Barkley’s recapture."
Barkley is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 157 pounds. He's bald and has blue eyes, as well as various scars, marks and tattoos on his body, according to Georgia Dept. of Corrections.
Police say that if you see or know of Barkley’s whereabouts call 911.
