Accused killer asks for lower bond

A 20-year-old man charged in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Cory Iwanski in August is petitioning to the Second District Court of Appeals to grant him a lower bond, according to his defense.

Iwanski’s mother reported him missing the afternoon of Aug. 19 after he had not been heard from for two days. He was found dead by his friends just after midnight on Aug. 20 in his car behind a business in a strip mall at 3126 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton.

An investigation launched by the Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit led to Jacob Harris’ arrest. Harris is charged with second-degree murder with a firearm. According to his arrest report, Harris gave homicide detectives a detailed confession about the fatal shooting during what was described as a drug deal gone wrong.

On Nov. 20, Harris’s defense attorney, Jennifer Fury, filed a habeas corpus petition appealing Circuit Judge Brian Iten’s decision in October to set bond for the murder charge at $500,000.

Initially Harris had been held without bond after a judge at his first appearance hearing found that the state had met the requirements necessary based on case law to hold him in pretrial detention. But at a bond hearing on Oct. 18, Fury introduced Harris’ recorded interview with detectives in which he made statements that could be evidence that the shooting was in self-defense, according to court records.

Based on the statements made in the recorded interview and the potential for a self-defense claim, Iten ruled that the case no longer met the standard for someone to be held without bond, according his Oct. 27 order.

Iten set Harris’ bond at $500,000 and also ruled that should Harris post bond, he be placed in the supervised release program. Conditions of his release would include that he not possess any firearms, wear a GPS ankle monitor, have no contact with the victim’s family, be confined to his parent’s home except for pre-approved appointments, submit to random drug testing and that he not consume any illegal drugs or alcohol.

Fury said Harris has no criminal history and a claim for self-defense. Fury also felt the amount of bond was unreasonable for the charge of second-degree murder, she said citing previous cases.

This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Accused killer asks for lower bond."