Accused Murderers Bond Was Reduced While VPD Works to Finish Case File

VICKSBURG, Miss – A recent bond reduction for Koury DeMichael Lawrence was because the Vicksburg Police Department‘s has not sent the entire case file to the District Attorney.

Lawrence is of one of four suspects arrested for the 2023 murder of 13-year-old Carleone Woodland. On Monday, January 30, 2023, just before midnight, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Speed Street for reports of shots being fired.  At the scene, they found a 15-year-old male who had received a gunshot wound to his left arm and a second 15-year-old male who had been shot in his left foot.

A few minutes later, another call came in about a vehicle taking a male victim to Merit Health River Region Medical Center that had stopped near the intersection of Clay Street and Mission 66. Inside the vehicle was 13-year-old, Carleone Woodland, who had received a single gunshot wound to his chest. Woodland was transported to Merit Health River Region via ambulance and was pronounced dead at the hospital.  

Lawrence has been held in jail since his arrest. On January 31 of this year, Judge James Chaney reduced the bond to $100,000 from the previous bond amount of $500,000. The original bond was set at 3.5 million by Municipal Judge Penny Lawson.

District Attorney Ricky Smith spoke with the Vicksburg Daily News about the case. Smith explained the bond was reduced because of the length of time Lawrence had been incarcerated without his case being presented to the Grand Jury.

“We’re awaiting the case file from the Vicksburg Police Department. We have not received one. I have been in communication with Chief Jones and she has been made aware of that. I contacted her soon as the judge reduced the bond to tell her the bond has just been reduced. I’m afraid if we don’t get the case file relatively quickly, the judge may dismiss the case,” Smith said. “We don’t have anything to present to a Grand Jury. We argued against the bond reduction because of the nature of the crime, but based on the fact that Mr. Lawrence has been in jail for an extended period of time and still no case or cause has been presented, the Judge reduced the bond. That is the reason for the bond reduction.”

Under the American system of jurisprudence citizens have a right to a speedy trial. Judges and defense attorneys are charged with protecting that right.

DA’s office says

Smith explained that some cases take a long time to prosecute because investigators and prosecutors are waiting on results from the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory, commonly called the Crime Lab. Some results can take up to a year to get back from the lab. Other reasons for delays can include waiting on a mental evaluation, that also can take up to a year to conduct and conclude.

“Even if everything works well, it can take a year to get a case to the Grand Jury. So you start putting delays to that, then you’re looking at maybe two to three years before it goes to trial. That doesn’t help anybody but the defense,” explained Smith. “Witnesses lose memory, witnesses die, witnesses commit crimes of their own… An extended period of time between the commission of the crime and trial only makes it more difficult to try the case.”

When asked if any heinous crime cases have been dismissed because it took too long, Smith said, “None that I can recall. We have the authority to dismiss a case if we determine that too much time has passed. But we’ve not, that I can recall, dismissed any cases of a serious nature because we’ve not received the case file.”

Chief Jones explains

Chief Penny Jones said, “That whole case file had several people involved in it. Files were sent but not the entire case file. They are still working on details related to that case. And I get it, I’m sure the public wants to know why the case hasn’t gone to the Grand Jury. Others in this case have gone to prison. I met with the DA today and we went over every case they are waiting on and are working to ensure they receive all that they need, or why it is not fully processed on our end.”

I saw clearly

At Monday’s meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, Mayor Flaggs and Aldermen Monsour both placed blame on the courts for reducing the bond. Mayor Flaggs, while addressing Chief Jones about crime and things that he wants implemented as Police Commissioner, said “I saw clearly, I read where a bond was set for a person who had been accused or alleged to have killed somebody, was reduced down to $100,000. The lawyer asked for $50,000 and the judge accepted $100,000.” Monsour interjected, “The bond was originally $500,000 and they reduced it to $100,000.” Flaggs continued, “That’s what we’re up against, a revolving door,” concluding, “It doesn’t make sense.”