A New York judge freed an ex-con without bond — now he’s suspected in several murders
Aug 2, 2018 9:00 pm
The man suspected in the strangling murder of a 29-year-old woman had been released by a New York District Court judge less than two weeks earlier — after being charged with felony strangulation, WCBS-TV reported.
Danueal Drayton is suspected of murdering Samantha Stewart of Queens, N.Y., by strangling her to death on July 17. Two weeks before, Nassau County District Court Judge Erica Prager rejected the district attorney’s request to hold Drayton on $7,500 bail on charges that he choked his girlfriend inside her car on June 30.
“It would have been impossible for the judge at that time to foresee the allegations that are presently unfolding and coming to light,” a Nassau County Court spokesman told the New York Daily News.
Drayton has since confessed to six other murders, and was arrested for allegedly raping a female hostage in California.
Was it really impossible?
Drayton had a notable record of arrests on his record, and in 2011 was sentenced to three years in prison for second-degree strangulation. He was on probation in Connecticut and had missed his last three mandatory visits with his probation officer.
Kenneth Stewart, the father of victim Samantha Stewart, didn’t buy that the judge couldn’t have foreseen Drayton as a threat.
“This guy walked out of jail on the 5th of July,” Stewart said. “My daughter came back from Jamaica on the 3rd of July. How could they miss a red flag like that?”
How was Drayton caught?
Drayton fled to California after Stewart’s murder, and was captured by police on July 26 at an apartment where he allegedly raped and attempted to murder a woman he was holding hostage.
Drayton’s habit was to meet his victims through dating websites — that was how he met Stewart and his alleged California victim.
“The common denominator in these two cases — one being a murder, one being a rape — is dating websites,” said NYPD chief of detectives Dermot Shea at a news conference. “I believe there will be more victims.”
Drayton is now being held on $1.25 million bond and has been charged with attempted murder, forcible rape, false imprisonment by violence, and sexual penetration by a foreign object. He hasn’t been charged in the New York murder.
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