ORLANDO, Fla. _ Orange County prosecutors declined to file charges against the niece of Markeith Loyd, one of three people arrested in the manhunt for the alleged killer and accused of helping him.
There was not enough evidence to prove the case against Lakensha Smith-Loyd in court, state attorney's spokeswoman Eryka Washington said. Smith-Loyd, who was initially held on a $750,000 bond, was released from the Orange County Jail on a $10,000 bond in late January.
Loyd himself remains in the Orange County Jail, facing charges in the killings of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton on Jan. 9 and his ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon on Dec. 13, as well as a host of other violent crimes.
An Orange County judge on Tuesday reduced the bond of Markeith Loyd's ex-girlfriend, Jameis Slaughter, from $500,000 to $25,000.
Loyd's former boss, Zarghee Mayan, could see his bond lowered as well _ from $400,000 to $20,000.
The case against Smith-Loyd relied in large part on Mayan's testimony, prosecutors have said in court.
During the hearing, 25-year-old Slaughter quietly answered Judge Alicia Latimore's questions and did not make any statements. She agreed to not have any contact with Loyd or other people arrested in the case and said she will not apply for a passport.
Her bond is now $20,000 for a charge of being an accessory after Dixon's killing, and $5,000 for a charge of giving investigators a false name, her twin sister's, when they questioned her.
Mayan's attorney, Lyle Mazin, said prosecutors contacted him Tuesday morning with an agreement to lower his client's bond. Mazin, who had filed a motion and argued for a lower bond last week, said he accepted and they are now waiting for the court to approve the motion.
