A man from California who was accused of killing another man last week was set free from custody in late 2024 due to mental health reasons, as stated by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Jordan Murray, 25, is charged with murder in the May 18 stabbing death of a 40-year-old man in the Fair Oaks area, the sheriff’s office said. 

Between the months of May and June 2024, Murray supposedly carried out two violent robberies that led to his incarceration, but he was released in November 2024 after being approved for “mental health diversion” by the courts.

“Only six months after his release from jail, Murray committed this completely preventable murder,” the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies from the sheriff’s office were called to respond to an attack at approximately 8 p.m. on Sunday at Fair Oaks Boulevard, where a wounded victim was discovered on the ground in the parking lot with several stab wounds. Despite efforts to save him, the victim passed away at the location.

Homicide detectives and crime scene investigators began collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, and learned that Murray and others were involved in a physical altercation involving the victim earlier that day.

The victim walked away, which broke up the fight at the time, but later encountered Murray and one of the others from the altercation. 

Murray allegedly pulled a knife out of his pocket and began swinging it at the victim, slashing him at least once in the chest, causing a “mortal wound,” police said.

He was located Tuesday morning in South Sacramento County and taken into custody without incident.

When announcing his most recent arrest, the sheriff’s office said Murray robbed a Dollar Tree in May 2024 and another business in Fair Oaks in June 2024. 

During both robberies, Murray allegedly sprayed an employee in the face with an “unknown caustic chemical” before fleeing. Deputies apprehended him as he rode away from the second robbery on an electric bike. 

Murray was arrested and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on Tuesday, where he is being held without bail.

Jail records show he is now charged with murder and felony robbery, on top of the previous two robbery charges. He is set to appear in court on Thursday.