The suspect charged with the shooting death of a 26-year-old Elyria man in August would still be in prison had he not been released early last year.
Investigators said Stephen Antonio Duke, 26, was shot and killed in the driveway of a Sheffield Village apartment complex on Aug. 5.
On Jan. 13, eleven counts were filed against 23-year-old Devonte Randleman, including aggravated murder and aggravated robbery charges.
“We’ve been praying for justice and we got some,” Dukes’ sister, San’Tanna Gibbon told News 5.
But Dukes' family said the news was bittersweet, after learning that Randleman served 5 years in prison for aggravated robbery and felonious assault but was released one year early from the Lorain Correctional Institution.
“It still crushed me because they shouldn’t have let him out of prison,” said Dukes’ mother, Nachelle Dukes.
Court records show that since his release, Randleman was also charged with a separate robbery in August and drug trafficking in November.
“Everybody gets second chances, we hope for the best, but obviously he did not learn his lesson,” said Brit-nee Frisby, Dukes’ older sister.
Randleman’s bond was set for $1,000,000.
