ATLANTA — A Georgia inmate who'd been at large since not returning last week to a transitional facility -- that, it turned out, he wasn't supposed to be housed at -- has been captured, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to 11Alive.
Officials said Melvin Barkley was captured in Franklin, North Carolina, on Wednesday afternoon.
Barkley, convicted of stabbing another man to death and on a 30-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole, didn't return to the Atlanta Transitional Center following a work shift.
The Georgia Department of Corrections said in a statement:
The can confirm the apprehension of Atlanta TC offender Melvin Barkley (GDC# 1000706575) today, February 7th at approximately 2:50pm in Franklin, North Carolina. Through information gathered by the GDC Fugitive Task Force (SERTF), Barkley was apprehended without incident by the Carolina Regional Task Force, and has been transported to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina pending extradition.
The Department of Corrections told 11Alive on Tuesday he should not have been at the center -- the state prison agency said it first placed him there in accordance with a lesser conviction, and that when it was notified of his more serious conviction for the 2018 killing of Tyler Waters he should have been transferred back into the state prison system.
RELATED: Missing Georgia inmate should not have been at Atlanta Transitional Center, Georgia DOC says
"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," said a spokesperson for the Georgia DOC.
Melvin Barkley was convicted on voluntary manslaughter charges on Nov. 9, 2023, where he was given a 30-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole. For that, he would not have been able to be placed at the transitional center. But, according to the Georgia DOC, he had a theft conviction from just eight days earlier -- Nov. 1, 2023 -- with a release date of July 22 of this year, and his placement at the transitional facility was appropriate for that charge.
According to DOC, on Feb. 2, Barkley failed to report back to the transitional facility he'd been living in on Ponce De Leon Avenue. Transitional center residents are employed in outside jobs in the community but are at the center when not working.
Barkley pleaded guilty to killing Tyler Waters in May 2018, according to a previous release. Barkley and Waters had gotten into an argument during a telephone call and Waters was upset that Barkley and his fiance were living with Waters' great-aunt but not paying the rent. According to the news release, Barkley then invited Waters to come to the location to discuss the issue. When Waters arrived, the two got into a physical fight.
A DA's Office news release said once the fight ended, Waters got into his car and drove away. But Barkley got into his own vehicle with a knife and pursued Waters. When he caught up to Waters' car, Barkley struck the back of the vehicle. Waters then got out of his car and approached Barkley's. They got into another fight where Barkley stabbed Waters and he later died.
Barkley had a negotiated plea agreement and was not convicted of murder. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole, followed by 20 years on probation.
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