Breaking Bond: even defendants accused of murder get yet another felony or PR bond to freedom
HOUSTON - "Corey was a very happy loving teenager," said his aunt Tarra Wright. "Everybody who knew Corey loved Corey."
17-year-old Corey Leonard Thompson Jr. was an aspiring engineer and athlete.
On March 20, police say Corey was shot 11 times by someone he thought was a friend, 18-year-old James Sotelo.
"He didn’t just shoot him, he did an overkill," said Bridgette Wright Corey’s aunt.
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Police say Sotelo also shot his own brother, but he survived.
"This kid just had no humanity for someone else," said Corey’s sister, Torrie Wright. "He didn’t realize what Corey meant to all of us."
"He was already out on bond for assaulting another individual," Bridgette Wright said.
But that didn’t stop 232nd Criminal District Court Judge Josh Hill for setting yet another felony bond for Sotelo, who is now a free man.
"He was already out on bond. Now he’s walking around freely to who knows what, commit another crime," Tarra Wright said.
Sotelo is far from being alone.
"We discovered about 14 defendants, who were originally out on multiple felony bonds or PR bonds, who were then charged with murder, and actually granted another bond to get out," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.
11 of those 14 murder defendants remain free.