Bond reduction sought in murder case
By Dwayne Bremer
Oct 9, 2012, 17:24
A Kiln man who allegedly assisted in the coverup of a double murder at 19375 Highway 43 last year has asked for his bond so he can get out of jail.
Jessie Adams, 32, appeared in Hancock County circuit court on Monday for a bond reduction hearing.
Adams is charged with two counts of accessory after the fact, taking possession of a motor vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the slayings of Robert Criswell and Joshua Adams on June 3, 2011.
Nicholas Schilling, 21, was charged with two counts of murder in the case.
Jessie Adams and another co-conspirator, Jessica Falgout, were charged with being accessories.
After the murders, Schilling, Adams, and Falgout allegedly tried to cleanup the scene and then discard the bodies.
Jessie Adams has been in jail since his arrest last July and is currently being held under a $600,000 bond.
Falgout posted a $50,000 bond last year.
Adams' attorney Cindy Burney told Circuit Judge Larry Bourgeois Monday that the amount of the bond does not correlate with his charges.
"My client is entitled to a reasonable bond," Burney said. "It does not fit the crimes he is facing. The co-defendant in this case (Falgout) was able to make a $50,000 bond. My client still has a $600,000 bond."
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Burrell said Monday that Adams had just recently been indicted and that his $600,000 bond was set by Justice Court.'
Hancock County Sheriff's Investigator Andre Fizer testified Monday that Adams was a willing participant in the attempted murder coverup.
"He helped clean up the scene, load the bodies up in the car, and transported the bodies to Abita Springs," Fizer said.
Fizer said Adams has several arrests on his record, all in Louisiana.
Burney said that her client had only been convicted of one felony and that he would not go back to Louisiana if he bonds out.
She said Adams' wife still owns the property on Highway 43 and she pointed to the fact that Adams turned himself in to authorities after the murder, as additional reasons why the bond should be lowered.
"He is not a flight risk," Burney said. "He has agreed to stay here."
Burney asked that Adams' bond be reduced to $50,000.
Burrell objected, saying Adams has four charges, all of which are felonies.
"I realize that $600,000 is a little excessive, but $50,000 is way too low," he said.
Bourgeois said he would consider the bond reduction and make a decision later in the week.
Adams, Schilling, and Falgout are scheduled to appear in circuit court next Thursday for their respective arraignments.
