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Bond denied for murder suspect

• Johnson was indicted for murder in April, court records show.

J.D.Sumner

LEESBURG — An Albany man accused of stabbing his girlfriend more than 50 times will remain in jail until his trial following a superior court judge’s ruling Wednesday, prosecutors say.

Craig Nicolas Johnson, 21, asked Judge Rucker Smith, superior court judge in the Southwestern Judicial Circuit, for a bond Wednesday following an indictment handed down by a Lee County grand jury accusing him of murdering Nicole Judge last February.

Smith denied the motion and remanded Johnson back into custody at Lee County Jail.

Johnson’s attorney, public defender Kevin Kwashnak, filed a motion with the court July 16 asking for a bond hearing for his client arguing that Johnson had been continually jailed since his March 4 arrest and that his client “would be a good risk” if released on bond.

Kwashnak asked the court to release Johnson on his own recognizance or to set a fair and attainable bond amount.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A grand jury handed down an eight-count indictment against Johnson April 29 accusing him of malice and felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, theft by taking, financial transaction card fraud and tampering with evidence.

“We’re pleased with the decision,” Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Cecilia Cooper said. “We had objected to him having a bond so things worked out our way.”

Judge’s body was found at her Winding Way home in Lee County February 29 after relatives failed to reach her and called deputies. Cooper has said that Judge had been stabbed, slashed and cut 50 times during the attack.

Johnson was arrested in the days following the discovery of Judge’s body at a home on the 1400 block of East 2nd Avenue in Albany.

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