Family of slain father outraged persons of interests were granted bond

Family and friends of a local father murdered in Jacksonville Beach are furious the only two people connected to the case could bond out of jail any time they wish.

Action News Jax reported about 23-year-old Leon Bennett being shot and killed after a fight near the Pier Cantina in June.

Tuesday, Shaquille Walker and Jose Lebron made their first appearance in court in Jacksonville, nearly a month after turning themselves in -- in Honolulu, Hawaii.

That night, Bennett’s loved ones gathered for a vigil at a memorial dedicated to him and to call for upgraded charges and no bond.

“My son can never come home to us,” said Bennett’s mother, Rhonda Kelly.  “He can never bond out of his death.”

Kelly argues Walker and Lebron are flight risks, so we asked Action News Jax Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson about how they could be eligible for bond.

“If the prosecutor knew that they knew there was a warrant, and they fled, they would not have a bond today,” Carson said.  “That tells me that the prosecutor doesn’t believe that they knew there was a warrant when they went to Hawaii.”

Both men are charged with tampering or fabricating evidence, while Walker also faces a weapons charge.

They'll be back in court later this month.

Cox Media Group