Rontarus Washington Jr. Case

LAWRENCE, KS (KCTV) – It’s a case that’s led to days of protests in Lawrence, and now a man who’s been behind bars for more than five years has walked out of jail.

Rontarus Washington Jr has not been cleared in a murder case, but a judge reduced his bond on Wednesday. He has been in custody in Douglas County since 2014.

Washington is originally from Mississippi, and many of his family members drove through the night to be here for the moment he was released.

He is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery in connection with the November 2014 death of 19-year-old Justina Altamirano Mosso. His 2019 trial ended in a hung jury, and many of his supporters say if he hasn’t been found guilty, then he shouldn’t be in jail.

A bond hearing took place Wednesday morning to reduce his $750,000 bond. Washington’s family and attorneys were hoping it’d be dropped to $20,000, but it was lessened to $500,000.

In order to make bail, his supporters needed 10 percent of that amount, $50,000, in cash. Through an online fundraiser, they were able to raise that money and more in less than an hour.

They also needed half a million dollars in collateral. Several people, some of whom have never even met Washington, put up their businesses and homes just so they could meet that amount.

Many supporters out Wednesday, including Washington’s mother Kenisha Clark, are calling this a monumental movement.

“I am elated right now. I just cannot wait for him to come out of the doors so that I can hug him for the first time,” she told KCTV5 shortly before Washington’s release.

Washington left the jail shortly after 6:30 p.m. There is still no set date when his next trial will take place and he is required to wear an ankle monitor while out on bail.