STEPHEN MCDANIEL'S DEFENSE TEAM SAYS HIS FAMILY CAN'T COME UP WITH 850-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BAIL MONEY... SO THE ACCUSED MURDERER WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN JAIL.
TODAY... THE DEFENSE TEAM'S REQUEST TO REDUCE THE BOND AMOUNT FELL ON DEAF EARS AND CHIEF SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE PHILLIP BROWN SAID HE WASN'T CHANGING HIS BOND DECISION FROM BACK IN
APRIL.
CANDACE ADORKA WAS IN THE COURTROOM WHEN IT ALL UNFOLDED... AND JOINS US WITH MORE.
THIS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST TENSE OF MCDANIEL'S HEARINGS.
IT STARTED WITH DEFENSE ATTORNEY FRANK HOGUE TRYING TO CALL THE DISTRCT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS... OR ONE OF HIS LAWYERS... TO THE WITNESS STAND.
AT ISSUE WAS THE MICKEY FINN POST... THAT'S THE GRAPHIC MESSAGE POSTED TO AN ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARD SOMETIME LAST YEAR.
IN APRIL....WINTERS READ THAT MESSAGE IN COURT...AND ARGUED THAT IT WAS WRITTEN BY MCDANIEL
"Make her a special drink called a mickey finn. She's out cold. I finally lose my V-Card. Oh no she OD'd and died. I barbeque her arms and legs to celebrate losing my V-Card."
AS I REPORTED IN APRIL... ANYONE COULD HAVE USED THE NICKNAME SON OF LIBERTY OR S-O-L ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
THAT'S THE SCREEN NAME MCDANIEL REPORTEDLY USED BEFORE LAUREN GIDDINGS WAS MURDERED.
AND TODAY NANCY SCOTT MALCOR SAYS THE F-B-I LATER RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO REALLY WROTE IT.
AT TUESDAY'S HEARING HOGUE WANTED TO QUESTION A PROSECUTOR ABOUT MCDANIEL ACTUALLY WROTE THE POST.
AFTER SOME BACK AND FORTH ABOUT LEGAL TECHNICALITIES... BOTH SIDES AGREED TO ASK THE JUDGE NOT TO CONSIDER THE POST WHEN DECIDING BOND.
If they wanna withdraw from that post and say dont even think about it your honor, then we're fine with that. THAT MADE WAY FOR THE DEFENSE TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE JUDGE THAT MCDANIEL WOULDN'T HARM HIS 4 SIBLINGS... AGED 6 TO 11... AND THAT 850 THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND WAS TOO HIGH.PROSECUTOR SCOTT MALCOR ARGUED THE BOND AMOUNT WAS SOLELY UP TO THE JUDGE...SHE ALSO ARGUED SINCE MCDANIEL'S GRANDFATHER DIED RECENTLY... HIS FAMILY WOULD HAVE MORE ASSETS THAT COULD USED FOR BOND.
BUT FLOYD BUFORD... ONE OF MCDANIEL'S ATTORNEY'S SAID HE ISN'T AWARE OF ANY HUGE INHERITANCE FOR THE MNDANIELS.
"there's no way they can post that bond. That bond is just not in their ability to do."
STEPHEN MCDANIEL SAT ATTENTIVE, BUT EXPRESSIONLESS... EYES LOCKED ON WHOMEVER WAS SPEAKING .
"He's in good spirits naturally he'd rather be out of jail anybody would so theres gonna be some disappointment that he's gonna go back to the bibb county jail so, he's holding up though."
DEFENSE ATTORNEY FRANK HOGUE SAYS THEY LIKE WON'T HAVE ANY MORE HEARINGS THIS SUMMER.... BUT RATHER, THEY'LL SPEND THE MONTHS COMBING THROUGH EVIDENCE AND PREPARING FOR TRIAL.
MOTIONS IN THE CASE ARE DUE AUGUST 31... BUT HOGUE SAYS AFTER LOOKING AT THE BODY OF EVIDENCE... THE DEFENSE TEAM WILL PROBABLY NEED MORE TIME.
FRANK?
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AUNTS, UNCLES, AND COUSINS OF LAUREN GIDDINGS PACKED THE FRONT BENCH OF THE COURTROOM.
A COUSIN....KATHY MANN... SAYS THE BOND HEARING FELL ON A BITTERSWEET DAY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
interestingly enough, this is her sister kaitlyn's wedding anniversary, one year, so we were all together a year ago today and lauren was the maid of honor at that wedding, so that's what we think of, we think of the times past with her and we do think about the times that would be present with her, and so we're here to keep that rememberance going.
THE FAMILY SPOKE WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR ALMOST AN HOUR AND A HALF AFTER THE HEARING ENDED.
THEY SAY EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PLEASED WITH TODAY'S RESULTS... THE D-A SPENT THAT TIME PREPARING THEM FOR THE NEXT STEPS IN THE CASE.
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TODAY'S 13WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL ASKS...
SHOULD ACCUSED MURDERERS BE GRANTED BOND?
SO FAR 13 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YES...
87 PERCENT SAY NO.
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A MACON FAMILY IS STILL REELING AFTER AN 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL DIED FROM A BULLET FIRED INTO A HOUSE ON BROOKHAVEN ROAD.
THE BULLET HIT SHABORAH DANIELS IN THE HEAD...AND HER YOUNGER BROTHER SAW IT ALL HAPPEN.
AS AUSTIN LEWIS TELLS US - DANIELS' FAMILY WANTS JUSTICE..
18-YEAR-OLD SHABORAH DANIELS FAMILY MEMBERS SAY THE CENTRAL HIGH GRADUATE...WAS A SWEET GIRL...WHO WAS GOING TO MACON STATE COLLEGE...WITH DREAMS OF BEING A FASHION DESIGNER.
Lori Daniels, Macon: She was so innocent, she never done nothing to nobody, just a girl trying to make it.
BUT THOSE DREAMS WERE CUT SHORT MONDAY NIGHT. a SHOT FIRED FROM OUTSIDE OF HER FATHERS HOME...HIT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE...WHERE SHABORAH WAS SITTING, HE BROTHER WAS PLAYING A VIDEO GAME...WHEN THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION THROUGH THE WALL.
christopher daniels, Macon: there was some white stuff that had popped on me and I did like this and when I turned back around I had seen Shy and she had jumped, and I thought that she had got shocked by her phone.
BUT HE SOON REaLIzED HIS SISTER WAS SHOT.
christopher daniels, Macon: and she laid down on my hand and then her eyes started to close and I was trying to wake her up and I started screaming at her so I ran down and I got my mom and my daddy came rushing down behind her saying baby please wake up please wake up and she wouldn't wake up.
SHABORAH'S STEPMOTHER LORI...SAYS THAT WILL BE BURNED IN THEIR MIND FOREVER.
Lori Daniels, Macon: It's a, a feeling you can't explain. One he has to live with that for the rest of his life. Two it was his sister, his only sister and three you never know who the bullet was intended for.
AND THEY HOPE TO GET AN ANSWER TO THAT..
Lori Daniels, Macon: It's not a game out here. This violence this gang stuff this, even if it's not gang related, it was just you shooting in the air, it's got to stop, children are dying by the dozens every day.
THE DANIELS FAMILY SAYS THEY'RE HOPING THAT THOSE WHO KNOW...WILL COME FORWARD.
AUSTIN LEWIS 13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS.
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE CASE CAN CALL MACON REGIONAL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1-877-68-CRIME. AGAIN...THAT'S 877-68-CRIME
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THREE DEMOCRATS AND A REPUBLICAN WANT TO REPLACE BIBB COUNTY SHERIFF JERRY MODENA.. WHO ISN'T SEEKING RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR AFTER 12 YEARS IN OFFICE.
THE THREE DEMOCRATS.. DAVID DAVIS.. THE CURRENT CHIEF DEPUTY.. RETIRED SHERIFF'S CAPTAIN ALBERT HALL.. AND RETIRED STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS EXECUTIVE BILL LUCAS DEBATE CAMPAIGN ISSUES DURING THIS WEEK'S CLOSE-UP PROGRAM.. INCLUDING POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE DEPARTMENT IF THEY BECOME SHERIFF.
DAVIS SAYS END OF THE YEAR RETIREMENTS WOULD IMPACT THE TRANSITION.. BUT THERE WOULD BE SOME CHANGES.
David Davis, Sheriff Candidate: We're going map out my vision of what we want to do with the office, the victim's advocacy, citizens advisory board, things like that, and because I've already been there, I sort of know the infrastructure of the office. So it's a little bit smoother transition to do those things.
HALL NOTED THAT HE RETIRED A FEW YEARS AGO.. AND WOULD WANT TO ACQUAINT HIMSELF WITH CURRENT OPERATIONS BEFORE CREATING HIS OWN OPERATIONS STRUCTURE.
Albert Hall, Sheriff Candidate: I don't see moving anyone at this point but until I get inside and see how things are setup now. Things may have changed since I left. So I don't see moving anyone or changing anything right off the bat.
LUCAS SAYS A TOP PRIORITY WOULD BE TO PUT THE BEST PERSON IN THE KEY POSITIONS.. LIKE CHIEF DEPUTY.
Bill Lucas, Sheriff Candidate: We're going to have to look for people for that position, male or female who can be in that position We just have to start looking and make sure they're the right people for all of those positions and that all of them are working the most efficiently as possible.
THE THREE DEMOCRATS MEET IN THE JULY 31ST PRIMARY.. THE WINNER FACES REPUBLICAN SHAWN FRITZ IN THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION.
YOU CAN CATCH CLOSE-UP IN ITS ENTIRETY AT NOON SATURDAY AND AT SIX A-M SUNDAY ON 13 WMAZ.
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PRODUCTION IS WRAPPING UP FOR THE JACKIE ROBINSON BIOPIC "42" IN MACON..
BUT THEY STILL NEED EXTRAS FOR THE LAST DAY OF SHOOTING..
TODAY.. THEY SHOT MORE BASEBALL SCENES AT LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD.
BUT THEY STILL NEED TO SHOOT SCENES SHOWING THE REACTION OF THE CROWD WHEN JACKIE ROBINSON STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE..
C-L CASTING IS LOOKING FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN..
SEND 3 PICTURES SHOWING YOUR FACE AND BODY.. YOUR AGE.. HEIGHT.. WEIGHT.. AND CONTACT INFORMATION.. TO C-L CASTING AT G-MAIL DOT COM.
PLEASE WRITE CITY ISLAND IN THE SUBJECT LINE.