Casey Gathers and Michael Jermaine Lewis were released from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Monday, four months after they were arrested in connection with the on-campus double murder in December.Gathers, 20, and Lewis, 19, were two of three suspects arrested for the murders of University graduate students Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam in the Edward Gay Apartments.Gathers and Lewis’ releases come five days after Devin Jamell Parker, 19, was indicted on two counts of second-degree murder. The grand jury decided not to indict nor acquit Gathers and Lewis during last week’s trial.By law, prosecutors have 120 days to file formal charges against a murder suspect. After 120 days have passed, the defendant’s attorney can file a motion to have him released without a bond obligation.Lewis was released from East Baton Rouge Prision on Monday at 7:02 p.m., according to a prision official. James Manasseh, Gathers’ attorney, said it was “an awful thing” for his client to sit in jail for 120 days.”One-hundred and twenty days — that’s a long time to get their case together,” Manasseh said. “For them not to have any information up to this point, I’d be hard pressed for them to get anything else.”Steve Danielson, state prosecutor, said the investigation against Gathers and Lewis is ongoing.”They may be relieved from their bond obligation, but that doesn’t prevent us from going back to the grand jury,” Danielson said. “If they are indicted down the road, we’ll end up being able to get an arrest warrant and get a new bond re-instated.”Parker told members of the double homicide taskforce on May 21 that he was with Gathers and Lewis at the on-campus apartment when the two murders occurred, according to Parker’s arrest warrant.Parker also told the taskforce Gathers shot both victims.”[Gathers] just has to go back to work,” Manasseh said. “His family and himself have to get things back together and get his life back on track.”Jim Holt, Parker’s attorney, said he is meeting Judge Richard “Chip” Moore Tuesday to set an arraignment date for his client.He did not want to comment on the what the grand jury considered for Parker’s indictment.”We don’t want to try the case in the media,” Holt said. “We express our deepest sympathy for the families of the victims. He said he does not want people to rush judgment against Parker.”Mr. Parker is entitled to his day in court and at that time we’re confident his name will be vindicated,” Holt said.—-Contact J.J. Alcantara at [email protected]
Two double murder suspects released Monday
By J.J. Alcantara
Chief Staff Writer
Chief Staff Writer
September 22, 2008