Bond set at $1M for man suspected in murder, shooting of Austin judge

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston judge set bond at $1 million for a man suspected of shooting a Travis County judge.

Chimene Onyeri is charged in the murder of Jacobi Alexander in Houston last May, and is the only suspect in the shooting of Austin Judge Julie Koceruk.

Up until now, prosecutors have called Onyeri only "a person of interest" in Koceruk's shooting.

However, during an hours-long bond hearing today, they officially Onyeri a suspect.

"The state can definitively say this defendant is the prime and only suspect in the shooting judge Keceric in Austin," says prosecutor Justin Keiter.

Onyeri, however, has not been charged in the judge's shooting. Rather, Wednesday's hearing was on whether he could get bond on an unrelated murder case in Harris County. Onyeri's father, Innocent, testified the family doesn't have much resources.

"I don't own any property," testified the elder Onyeri, who says he is a retired school teacher who now works as a security guard.

Prosecutors disagreed, and they pointed out the elder Onyeri draws a pension, has a job, and has supported his unemployed son for several years.

"He has all this income he doesn't want other people to know about. He can't explain where he's getting all this money," said Keiter.

Onyeri's attorney, however, was unhappy with the $1 million bond set by the judge.

"We did the best we could do, we put evidence that not only can he not afford a high bond but that he's not guilty of this crime and innocent of this crime," said defense attorney Sam Adamo.

If Onyeri bonds out, he will have to wear an ankle tracking bracelet. He will also have to adhere to a curfew. However, the Onyeri family insists it won't have the funds to do so.