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40-year-old career criminal free from jail on PR bond now charged with capital murder

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Published  December 5, 2024 9:34pm CST
Breaking Bond
FOX 26 Houston

Suspect in deadly double stabbing was out on bond

FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace has more in this edition of "Breaking Bond."

The Brief

    • Jesse Leal, with multiple convictions, was granted a PR bond after his latest drug arrest, despite violating bond conditions.
    • Leal's release led to the tragic stabbing deaths of his wife, Stephanie Leal, and her friend Randall Pennel, witnessed by five children.
    • Critics argue that unelected magistrates granting PR bonds, without public accountability, may put communities at risk.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - That personal recognizance bond, or get out of jail free card, may have cost a mother of five and her friend their lives.

Jesse Leal has so many misdemeanor and felony convictions under his belt. He has 16 mug shots.

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"You've got a whole page of criminal offenses on him, so he's a career offender," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

And yet he was treated like a first-time offender following his most recent drug arrest. He was given a PR bond or get out of jail free card.

According to court documents, he repeatedly violated his bond conditions and failed to return to court.

"He was gone. He became a fugitive, a bond forfeiture was issued," Kahan said.

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Last Friday, police say Leal stabbed his wife, Stephanie Leal and her friend Randall Pennel, to death.

The double slaying was witnessed by five children. 2 of them, a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old, are Leal's biological children.

"All he did was ruin his life, my daughters', their kids, and all Randall's family," said Wayne Cooksey, Stephanie's father.

When we asked Wayne about the PR bond he told us, "I'm not very happy about it. If he would have been in jail, he wouldn't have killed my daughter and her friend."

So what judge granted Leal a PR bond? Not an elected one, but rather a magistrate.

"Most of the PR bonds we are seeing are being granted by magistrates," said Kahan. "These are people that are unelected. They are not accountable to the general public."

The Source

  • FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace spoke with Andy Kahan with Houston Crime Stoppers about this case. 

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