Cold Case Murder Suspect Released on Bail in Rhode Island
Criminal Charges:
Man indicted in the Providence County Rhode Island Superior Court for:
Case Overview:
Providence Police, working with a federal inmate turned government cooperator, cracked a cold case homicide that was more than 10 years old. Many years ago, on a winter night in December 2010, an altercation outside of a bar in downtown Providence ended with a young man dying from stab wounds to his upper torso. The decedent and his friend allegedly instigated an altercation outdoors, after closing time, with a group of strangers. The stabbing occurred when the two groups collided. For many years, the crime remained unsolved. 10 years later, in November 2020, a federal inmate seeking lenience via cooperation credit told police that his former employee admitted to committing this crime, and even called him for a ride to escape the city the night of the incident. Police tracked down the former employee, who was residing in Texas. The man cooperated with police, provided a full confession, and admitted that his actions were motivated by the need to defend a friend, who was rendered unconscious during the altercation and still under attack while lying lifeless on the ground. The man was indicted in March 2021 on Murder in Rhode Island Superior Court. His family terminated the first lawyer they hired in order to retain Rhode Island Criminal Defense Lawyer, John L. Calcagni III, to defend him in this very serious matter.
Case Result: Bail Granted.
After spending nearly 18 months in jail without bail, the case proceeded to an evidentiary bail hearing. After powerful cross-examinations of the State’s witnesses and presentation of evidence regarding the man’s strong ties to Rhode Island (including family, employment, property, and more) and other factors such as his lack of criminal history and cooperation with police, Attorney Calcagni successfully persuaded a Superior Court Judge to release the man on surety bail with conditions that include home confinement.