The defendant pleaded innocent in the beating death and rape of a 2-year-old city boy.
WARREN — A judge has withdrawn bail for a city man facing possible capital murder charges in the beating death and rape of a 2-year-old boy he was baby-sitting.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court granted Prosecutor Dennis Watkins' request that Randall M. Thomas' bond of $750,000 be revoked.
Watkins said the evidence contained in an affidavit unsealed Wednesday contains enough evidence of the crime to warrant the change in bond.
Judge McKay said he would eliminate the bond "for now" and consider defense arguments for a new bond amount at a later time. A pretrial hearing was set for April 18 in the case.
Thomas, 24, who was staying in an apartment on Fifth Street Southwest in Warren with his stepbrother and others at the time of the child's death, was arraigned Thursday before Judge McKay. He pleaded innocent to charges of aggravated murder and rape in the death of Freddy Miller II.
Background
The boy was found in his bedroom of the Fifth Street apartment, face up, gasping for breath, on Feb. 28, after police say he was beaten about his head and torso. Thomas was the only person in the apartment with the boy at the time he was found. The boy died the next day at an Akron hospital.
Thomas had been staying at the apartment for about a month and baby-sitting in lieu of paying rent, police said. The boy was one of two children living in the apartment with Thomas, his stepbrother and the children's mother.
Because of the aggravating circumstances alleged in Thomas' indictment — rape and causing the death of a child under age 13 — he could be sentenced to death if convicted.
Watkins said Miller is the youngest homicide victim he can recall in his 30 years with the prosecutor's office that involved a capital murder case.
Thomas is being represented by public defenders Anthony Consoldane and James Lewis.
Friday, April 6, 2007
The defendant pleaded innocent in the beating death and rape of a 2-year-old city boy.
WARREN — A judge has withdrawn bail for a city man facing possible capital murder charges in the beating death and rape of a 2-year-old boy he was baby-sitting.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court granted Prosecutor Dennis Watkins' request that Randall M. Thomas' bond of $750,000 be revoked.
Watkins said the evidence contained in an affidavit unsealed Wednesday contains enough evidence of the crime to warrant the change in bond.
Judge McKay said he would eliminate the bond "for now" and consider defense arguments for a new bond amount at a later time. A pretrial hearing was set for April 18 in the case.
Thomas, 24, who was staying in an apartment on Fifth Street Southwest in Warren with his stepbrother and others at the time of the child's death, was arraigned Thursday before Judge McKay. He pleaded innocent to charges of aggravated murder and rape in the death of Freddy Miller II.
Background
The boy was found in his bedroom of the Fifth Street apartment, face up, gasping for breath, on Feb. 28, after police say he was beaten about his head and torso. Thomas was the only person in the apartment with the boy at the time he was found. The boy died the next day at an Akron hospital.
Thomas had been staying at the apartment for about a month and baby-sitting in lieu of paying rent, police said. The boy was one of two children living in the apartment with Thomas, his stepbrother and the children's mother.
Because of the aggravating circumstances alleged in Thomas' indictment — rape and causing the death of a child under age 13 — he could be sentenced to death if convicted.
Watkins said Miller is the youngest homicide victim he can recall in his 30 years with the prosecutor's office that involved a capital murder case.
Thomas is being represented by public defenders Anthony Consoldane and James Lewis.
Friday, April 6, 2007
A judge has withdrawn bail for a city man facing possible capital murder charges in the beating death and rape of a...
