Justice Court Judge Billie J. Graham denied bond to murder suspect Jose Angel Melendez-Davila Tuesday afternoon. Speaking through a translator, the judge read the suspect his rights and then asked him a number of questions before making her decision on his bond status.
Melendez-Davila is the alleged killer in the murder of Dalton White in a homicide that took place at 27 Toombs Road in the early morning hours on Thursday, November 7. White was shot in the chest area. White’s mother, Tasha Sharpe, was critically injured and remains hospitalized from a gunshot wound to her neck. Toombs Road is in the north Jones County area near Lake Como Road and Houston Road.
The accused murderer was escorted into the Justice Court Building by several Jones County sheriff deputies for his hearing to face charges of first degree murder and aggravated assault. He told the judge through the translator that he came to Mississippi in February after spending some time in Louisiana. He has family in Morgan City, Louisiana, which is where authorities caught up to him on Friday, just a day after he fled this area as local law enforcement officials looked for him due to witnesses at the scene saying that he was the shooter. The witnesses also gave a description of the vehicle he was driving, but he abandoned that ride and left the vehicle behind a business on 15th Avenue in Laurel. Melendez-Davila was brought back to Jones County on Sunday, and today was his initial hearing.
Assistant District Attorney Dennis Bisnette conveyed to Graham that he did not support the suspect being given a bond, due to the nature of the crimes and the fact that Melendez-Davila has already proven to be a flight risk. The judge agreed.
“Mr. Bisnette is correct in his assessment of the law,” she said, referring to Bisnette’s citation of some state statues during his request for the State. “I have to look at his (Melendez-Davila) lack of ties to the community, the serious gravity of the crimes and the fact that he has already fled the area. There will be no bond.”