ATLANTA — Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the timeline of when the suspect left the transitional center.
We're learning more about the inmate who escaped a Midtown halfway house and then got arrested for murder.
William Coleman was denied bond in court Monday. Coleman is accused of stabbing and killing an unhoused man Friday near the BeltLine, according to a spokesperson for the BeltLine. There is security footage of the alleged crime.
A representative from the Georgia Department of Corrections told 11Alive that Coleman left the Atlanta Transitional Center, on Ponce de Leon Avenue, on June 22. and never returned. The center is not gated and sits near several business and housing units.
Emma Nare said she wasn't aware of what was around the corner.
"I didn't even know that that existed so close to my home," Nare said.
Now, she fears for her safety.
"I live alone," Nare said. "I don't have a roommate. I have a dog. I walk my dog at night."
The DOC's website states that the center can hold up to 257 incarcerated people. It's a minimum-security housing facility for male inmates nearing the end of incarceration.
Susan Burns is the deputy director of the Human & Civil Rights Coalition of Georgia, which advocates for the fair treatment of the incarcerated. She explained how easy it is to get out.
"If they have lunch, they can go outside and sit down. And, you know, the right frame of mind, it's very easy to walk away," Burns said.
Nare said she hadn't even heard about the stabbing.
"We want to know about what's happening," Nare said, "Don't leave us in the dark."
Burns and Nare are calling into question the communication from the DOC.
A DOC spokesperson said:
"BOLOS (Be On The Lookout) were issued by GDC’s fugitive task force to Gwinnett Co SO (sheriff's office) and Atlanta PD on June 26th."
That means Coleman was missing for days. Burns said the DOC should have done more to alert the public.
"The Department of Correction should issue a press release as soon as they know someone is gone," Burns said.
Burns went on to say inmates escape more often than we think. We don't always hear about it.
11Alive reported when Charles Smith escaped from the Atlanta Transitional Housing Center in Apr. 2023. Melvin Barkley also escaped from the same place in February of this year.
Burns said state leaders have to step up security before someone else gets hurt.
"Regardless of the mode or method by which they did it, this is a public safety issue," Burns said. "And, again, it's the largest public safety department in the state of Georgia. Where's the responsibility lie?"
The murder is still under investigation.
Burns said she believes Coleman could face five years for escaping, along with whatever else the judge decides for his alleged crimes. The DOC said he was set to be released in October 2025.
Coleman was arrested for robbery, obstruction of law enforcement, felony criminal attempt, and simple battery.
In a statement Monday, GDOC said transitional centers assist offenders in returning to society in a structured setting.
"Unfortunately, some individuals make a decision not to return to the facility from their jobs or otherwise leave the facility," the statement reads. "When that occurs, the GDC dedicates all of our Fugitive Unit resources toward immediate action and recapture, to include communication with our law enforcement partners in the community."