Teen’s alleged killer gets $5 million bond

A 22-year-old Albany man charged with killing a teen girl and dumping her body here Jan. 10 was in court May 4 for probable cause and bond hearings. Jaylan Jashad Ray was arrested Jan. 13 in Tallahassee after three days on the run. He is charged with murder and aggravated assault with more charges pending.The body of D’Shunti Kyanni Hunter, 17, was found at the rear of the Unionville Church cemetery off High Falls Park Road.Public defender Doug Smith noted Ray was eligible for bond under statute because he has been jailed 90 days without being indicted. He called Ray’s mother, Anita Edwards, and a Georgia Gwinnett professor, Mazim Ortega, as character witnesses.Judge Tommy Wilson tried to discern from Edwards information about Ray using her car while he was a fugitive from justice but she was evasive. Smith intervened.’We ask for a reasonable bond. A $1 million bond is not a reasonable bond. No one in this room could make a $1 million bond,’ Smith argued.Deputy chief assistant district attorney Wayne Jernigan began to get into the facts of the case to which Smith objected. Judge Wilson allowed Jernigan to proceed.’This defendant has no ties to Lamar County. He crossed two state lines after the killing. He cleaned a 17-year-old girl’s blood out of his car. That girl was shot seven times. She had 15 bullet holes in her. Seven of them were entrance wounds,’ Jernigan revealed.Without hesitation, Judge Wilson said Ray was definitely a flight risk and set bond at $5 million. Ray left the courtroom amid tight security. Several members of Hunter’s family were in the courtroom for the proceedings.