'Catch and release' killers: 150 victims killed by suspects released on bond in Houston area

Man charged in deadly purse-snatching was out on bond for another capital murder charge - Screenshout courtesy of KHOU on YouTube

‘Catch and release’ killers: 150 victims killed by suspects released on bond in Houston area

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HOUSTON, TX – “Catch and release” Judges presently on the bench in Harris County have released more than 113 defendants charged with capital murder back onto Houston streets on bond, and more than 150 people have been murdered by accused criminals released on bond.

FOX26 reported that liberal judges have allowed more than 50,000 accused felons out of prison under liberal reforms.

The local news outlet pointed out that capital murder is the most “egregious” offense in the Texas criminal code, which has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The news outlet wrote:

“In all, more than 50,000 accused felons have benefited from the ‘catch and release’ philosophy of “criminal justice,” perpetrated by the current crop of democratic ‘reform’ judges.”

FOX26 continued:

“According to Crime Stoppers Houston – 155 people have lost their lives at the hands of accused criminals – cut-loose from custody – only to kill while on bond.

“If it weren’t our absolute reality – I’d call it a frightening parallel universe.”

Another local news agency, KHOU, analyzed 407 capital murder charges filed in Harris County between September 2016 and September 2021.

They found that records show 113 suspects charged with capital murder were bonded out of jail. That indicates that 28% of those charged with capital murder in the Houston area are released to the streets on bail.

Of those suspects released on bond, 30 were arrested again for another crime. That indicates that 27% of those released reoffend while awaiting trial.

71-year-old Martha Medina was murdered by one such bonded criminal. According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Martha was outside the McDonald’s in September when Andrew Williams snatched her purse and then ran over her with their car and killed her.

After Williams’ arrest for the murder, a court official told the court in a hearing that he should be held without bond “because he represents a significant danger to the community.”

Her daughter wants to know why Judge Hilary Unger released Williams in another capital murder case in 2019 before the murder of her mother.

'Catch and release' killers: 150 victims killed by suspects released on bond in Houston area

Lourdes Medina asked:

“Why? It just doesn’t make sense in my head…

““I’m very angry, I’m frustrated at the decisions you’re making as a judge.”

During his court appearance in October for Martha’s murder, her family gathered outside the courthouse. Lourdes said:

“I’m here to ask the judges to please do their job.

“”Because I know that ever since that day, I don’t feel safe anymore. I don’t feel safe going to do my errands, groceries, anything because I’m always looking over my shoulder and I shouldn’t be living this way.”

She said she will be present at future court hearings with a message to Harris County judges:

“Do what you’re supposed to be doing in office, that’s what you were elected for. All of us have placed our trust in you and what are you doing?”

KHOU found that during the five years analyzed, court records show that seven capital murder suspects were charged with robbery, another eight with assault, and three with another murder all while out on bond.

Other crimes include drug and weapons charges, evading arrest and possession of child pornography.

Houston Police Sergeant Larry Gibson, who is assigned to the City’s violent crimes task force, said criminals released while facing capital murder trials are more dangerous because they have nothing to lose:

“It’s very concerning, it’s concerning for everybody involved. Guys out on capital murder bonds, they just don’t have the fear.

“So, they’re like, ‘I’m out on this. If I get caught, well, I’m already on bond for murder, what do I have to lose?’”

Lourdes Medina said she is angry that a suspect in a capital murder case could be permitted to walk the streets to kill again:

“It frustrates me and angers me. This could have been prevented, had the right decisions been taken it totally could have been prevented.”

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Far-left District Attorney who let out criminal behind parade disaster predicted his bail reform would one day get someone killed

November 27, 2021

MILWAUKEE, WI – The liberal progressive Milwaukee County District Attorney, whose office released the Waukesha Christmas parade suspect days earlier on extremely low bail for running down the mother of his child with his car, has been a longtime champion of bail reform to reduce incarceration of criminals.

DA John Chisholm also predicted previously that his pro-bail reforms would one day get someone killed.

Chisholm, who was elected District Attorney in 2007, has spent his career supporting cash-bail system reform, claiming bail criminalizes poverty. Yet he knew the risks of someone being killed by such liberal policies.

In an interview with the Milwaukee-Journal-Sentinel in 2007, Chisholm said:

“Is there going to be an individual I divert, or I put into a treatment program, who is going to go out and kill somebody.

“You bet. Guaranteed. It’s guaranteed to happen. It does not invalidate the overall approach.”

Ironically, the same District Attorney has launched an investigation into the “inappropriately low” bail set for the parade rampage driver Darrell Brooks Jr. for a previous, recent arrest involving running over another person with his vehicle.

Brooks, 39, of Milwaukee, now faces murder charges after authorities said he killed six people and wounded more than 60 others by driving through the Waukesha Christmas parade on Sunday. Brooks was out on bail for two separate violent crimes, including one where he is accused of using a car to run over a woman less than three weeks earlier.

Chisholm’s office released a statement Monday morning, saying his office made and error when prosecutors requested bail of $1,000 for the two previous crimes. He posted bail about a week after he was charged and was released from custody.

The statement said the DA’s office was “conducting an internal review” of the bail decision:

“The State’s bail recommendation in this case was inappropriately low in light of the nature of the recent charges and the pending charges against Mr. Brooks.

“The bail recommendation in this case is not consistent with the approach of the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office toward matters involving violent crime, nor was it consistent with the risk assessment of the defendant prior to setting of bail.”

Brooks was charged Tuesday with five counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the parade incident, court documents show. Prosecutors said they are considering a sixth homicide charge after a child victim died.

Brooks is currently in custody with bail set at $5 million.

In the most recent previous incident, Brooks stands accused of running over the mother of his child with his car on November 2. The criminal complaint filed against Brooks stated:

“Officers observed tire tracks on her left pants leg.”

Chisholm’s officed filed charges against Brooks including obstructing an officer; second-degree recklessly endangering safety with domestic abuse assessments; disorderly conduct with domestic abuse assessments; and misdemeanor battery with domestic abuse.

He was also charged at the time with violating bail for an incident on July 24, 2020, in which he is accused of firing a handgun during an argument. When arrested for the incident, police recovered a stolen handgun and methamphetamine pills from him.

He was charged with two counts of second-degree reckless endangering safety while using a dangerous weapon and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. He was originally held on $10,000 bail in that crime but was released on just $500 bail after the DA’s office said it could meet the speedy trial requirement.

Brooks’ criminal record also included a 2006 conviction for statutory sexual seduction, for which he served more than a year at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center.

Questions are now being raised asking why the pro-bail reform DA permitted the extremely low bail for the November 2 incident considering the long and violent history of the defendant.

Julie Rendelman, a former prosecutor of homicides who is now a defense attorney, said the DA and the system failed in Brooks’ case:

“It looks like they just screwed up. They dropped the ball; it really is that simple. I don’t think it speaks to bail reform.”

Investigators of the parade tragedy believe Brooks was fleeing a domestic incident when he ran through barricades at the parade and ran down multiple people.

 

 

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About The Author

Scott A. Davis is a 28-year veteran of law enforcement. He served as a Police Sergeant and as a Detective in Pennsylvania. Scott retired from law enforcement in 2020. Prior to his law enforcement career, Scott was an award-winning journalist and recipient of two Keystone Press Awards.

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