Richard Tuite, the man being re-tried for the 1998 murder of a 12-year-old Escondido girl, had his bail set at $1 million by a judge in court on Friday.
In 2004, Tuite was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the case of Stephanie Crowe. Since then, the 43-year-old has been serving a 17-year sentence in a northern California prison.
On Jan. 21 1998, Crowe’s body was discovered in her bedroom.
Investigators focused on her brother, Michael Crowe, and his friends Aaron Houser and Joshua Treadway as potential suspects.
The three boys were interrogated until Michael and Treadway confessed. A judge later threw out those confessions and the charges against the three teens were dropped.
Tuite – a mentally ill transient seen in Crowe’s neighborhood around the time of the murder -- was eventually convicted in the case.
Last month, prosecutors revealed that Tuite would be re-tried due to the seriousness of the crime and public safety.
In court on Friday, attorneys said Tuite is a menace to society.
However, Tuite’s attorney insisted he is not dangerous, and argued that there’s been a lot of speculation in his case. His attorney also said there was never enough forensic evidence tying Tuite to Crowe's murder.
Ultimately, the judge set his bail at $1 million.
Local
A status hearing for Tuite is slated for Dec. 12. His trial is set to begin on May 13, 2013.
