Man free on bond granted reduction

BENTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston, Mo., man free on bond was granted a bond reduction Thursday to maintain his eligibility for a public defender.

Bryce Western was charged in July with assault, kidnapping and felonious restraint after Michael Fisher of Sikeston told investigators that Western and two other people kidnapped him from his front porch July 12 and beat him for several hours in an attempt to extort money from him.

Western bonded out, but his attorney, public defender Ella Boone, said Thursday the amount was so high that by posting it, Western became ineligible for her services.

Western's initial bond was $75,000, according to information released by the Scott County Sheriff's Department in July.

That amount was based on the initial charges.

But Aug. 21, after hearing more than an hour of complicated and sometimes contradictory testimony from Fisher, Judge Scott Horman threw out the kidnapping and felonious restraint charges against Western and bound him over for trial on second-degree assault.

Boone said Thursday the higher bond was inappropriate for second-degree assault, a Class C felony carrying a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

She filed a motion to reduce Western's bond to $5,000.

Prosecuting attorney Austin Crowe did not object to the motion, which Judge David Dolan upheld.

Dolan continued the case to Nov. 27.

Boone said the lower bond allows Western to remain free until trial without losing his eligibility to have her represent him in court.

Western was one of four people charged in connection with the case.

Fisher told police Western, Andrew Robinett and a Sikeston woman kidnapped him at gunpoint from his front porch and took him to the woman's house, where he said Western, Robinett and Cody McRoy, also of Sikeston, physically assaulted him and demanded money from him.

Horman dismissed all charges against the woman and dropped all but the assault charges against Robinett and Western at the conclusion of the Aug. 21 preliminary hearing.

McRoy waived his right to a preliminary hearing in August and last month pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree assault and felonious restraint.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, Mo.