Child abuse suspect faces judge for 1st time in bizarre appearance
Child abuse suspect faces judge for 1st time in bizarre appearance
The judge overseeing Brian Coulter's case also recused himself from it Thursday morning
By Erica Simon
Thursday, October 28, 2021 3:26PM
snipped
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The 31-year-old man accused of beating his girlfriend's 8-year-old son to death faced a judge Thursday morning.
Brian Coulter is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kendrick Lee, whose corpse was found in a west Harris County apartment, along with Kendrick's three siblings.
A judge set Coulter's bond at $1 million on Wednesday, when the charges were read against him, but he did not appear in court, because he was being evaluated at a mental health unit.
On Thursday, he answered to a judge for the first time since his arrest in the boy's murder.
The judge who was supposed to see him recused himself from the case for personal reasons. It's unknown at this time what those reasons are, so another judge filled in.
But prosecutors told ABC13 at the courthouse that all the investigators are traumatized.
"The sheriff's office and I are working very closely together to make sure that justice is done in this case and that everyone's rights are protected and the children that are still surviving are protected as well. This is just a starting point," said Andrea Beall with the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
When Coulter arrived, he walked in slowly, asking the judge several questions. At times, it appeared that he didn't understand what was being read to him.
Child abuse suspect faces judge for 1st time in bizarre appearance
The judge overseeing Brian Coulter's case also recused himself from it Thursday morning
By Erica Simon
Thursday, October 28, 2021 3:26PM
snipped
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The 31-year-old man accused of beating his girlfriend's 8-year-old son to death faced a judge Thursday morning.
Brian Coulter is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kendrick Lee, whose corpse was found in a west Harris County apartment, along with Kendrick's three siblings.
A judge set Coulter's bond at $1 million on Wednesday, when the charges were read against him, but he did not appear in court, because he was being evaluated at a mental health unit.
On Thursday, he answered to a judge for the first time since his arrest in the boy's murder.
The judge who was supposed to see him recused himself from the case for personal reasons. It's unknown at this time what those reasons are, so another judge filled in.
But prosecutors told ABC13 at the courthouse that all the investigators are traumatized.
"The sheriff's office and I are working very closely together to make sure that justice is done in this case and that everyone's rights are protected and the children that are still surviving are protected as well. This is just a starting point," said Andrea Beall with the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
When Coulter arrived, he walked in slowly, asking the judge several questions. At times, it appeared that he didn't understand what was being read to him.