MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Monday, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced that Courdarion Craft is being held without bond on all charges connected to Sunday’s deadly shooting spree and manhunt.
They also announced that bond has been revoked in all of the 20-year-old’s previous cases.
According to Memphis Police, Craft was out on a $100,000 bond for an attempted murder in Nov. 2023.
Since 2022, court records show Craft has been arrested at least five times, four involving stolen cars before the arrest for attempted murder (among other charges) in November.
But according to long-time Memphis criminal defense attorney Michael Working, Craft could’ve been behind bars well before that.
“If they revoked that guy's bond, nobody gets shot this weekend,” he said.
Craft is facing charges that include first-degree murder, especially aggravated robbery and carjacking. He was due in court on Friday for the initial hearing in the Nov. 2023 attempted murder case, but it was dismissed after Craft failed to show up.
“Usually, if that happens, there's a warrant issued immediately,” Working said. “And it appears that the prosecution dismissed the case for a more serious warrant to issue.”
ABC24 reached out to Judge Shelia B. Renfroe, the judge presiding over Craft’s attempted murder case, who sent the following statement on the case:
"It is a nolle prosequi failure to appear, which is issued at the request of the state when a defendant does not appear for preliminary hearing. This case then goes to indictment stage."
According to the District Attorney’s Office, not only is this a routine practice, but it's also a legal requirement that all defendants have the right to be present during their preliminary hearing.
Working said the bigger question is: Why was bond not revoked on the numerous other car theft cases Craft was facing after he was arrested for attempted first degree murder?
“If you get re-arrested, they can revoke your first bond,” he said. “So, while he could still make the $100,000 bond, they could have revoked the car theft bond, and he would have remained in jail.”
So why didn’t that happen?
“I think that's a really hard question for them to answer,” Working said.
The D.A.’s office told ABC24 they did try to have Craft’s previous bonds revoked after the arrest for attempted murder.
We reached out to the judges overseeing Craft’s car theft cases, but we have not heard back from them at this time.
When asked why no warrant was issued after Craft did not show up Friday, Judge Renfroe said she cannot comment further on the case since it was declared nolle prosequi.