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2 defendants in murder case ask for bond reduction
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Two of six men charged with the January death of a young mother on the East Side have submitted handwritten letters from the Mahoning County jail to the judge in their case.
The letters, written by Burton McGee, 19, and Larenz Rhodes, 18, were filed in common pleas court Tuesday.
Rhodes asked Judge Anthony Donofrio to give him a reduced bond, while McGee asked that his case be separated from the other defendants.
The two, along with their four co-defendants, have been held on $1 million bail since their arraignments in municipal court on charges they killed Crystal Hernandez, 24, on Jan. 24 in her McBride Street apartment.
Police said Hernandez was found lying on a couch bleeding from a bullet wound to the neck and holding her young son, who was not harmed.
Police said the shooting was in retaliation for an earlier shooting and robbery attempt by Hernandez’s boyfriend and another man, who both face counts of felonious assault.
While McGee’s handwritten letter was brief, the letter written by Rhodes was three pages long.
In asking for his bond reduction, he said he does “not have a bad criminal history” and he also claims he is taking the blame for the crime, although he did say he accepts responsibility for his actions. Rhodes also gives details of the crime from his perspective.
He is due back in court May 1 for a pretrial hearing.
Court records show McGee has a trial date of April 22, however, that is expected to be pushed back.