Jeroid Price: Man who killed footballer secretly freed 16 years early by retiring judge
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Jeroid Price, a man convicted in a murder case and serving a 35-year prison sentence was secretly let go by a retired judge 16 years early. The bizarre case came to light after a newly unsealed court document was revealed. He was found guilty of fatally shooting Carl Smalls at a Columbia nightclub in 2003 and was released last month. Price’s order was signed by outgoing Circuit Judge Casey Manning on his last day in office.
It is believed that he was allowed to go after the murderer’s good deeds during his jail time, but the discrepancy the case faces is that it didn’t reach the area’s chief judge for approval. As per law, it needs to be signed with proper notification to the victim’s family. Smalls’ sister Andrianne talked about the unlikely development in the case and felt ‘heartbroken.’ “This right here is not fair. Just finish up the 16 years that you have and be done, and we’ll go from there,” she told WLTX. The family got to know about the current situation while paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of the football player’s death. Price, pulling the trigger on Smalls was a gang rivalry attack. The shooter, belonged to the Bloods Street gang, while the victim hailed from the rival Crips gang.
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'Alerted authorities about the escape of an inmate'
According to the latest released court documents, Price saved a prison guard from an attack by a group of inmates at the Liber Correctional Institute. One inmate told investigators that Price was later ‘punished’ for rescuing the officer. The report also claims that Price, saved another guard, Sally Fowler, who was hammered by an inmate with a broomstick. The guard had on record gone ahead and vouched for Price to receive a ‘time reduction for saving his life.’
'He absolutely should not have been released'
This was not all, he even alerted the authorities about the escape of convict Jimmy Lee Causey, who was serving sentence for holding his defense attorney and his family hostage. The 43-year-old served in a New Mexico prison as part of an inmate transfer program before he got released, according to New York Post.
“He absolutely should not have been released from prison, and we need to get him back behind bars as quickly as possible. While we are still unsure about several circumstances surrounding his release, we are certain Judge Manning’s order is void," said State Attorney General Alan Wilson.