Man charged with murder had just been released from jail in gun case

Nine days before he was charged with shooting a bystander to death during an argument, Quintavious Hutchings was released on bond for a concealed weapon violation, a Bibb County prosecutor said Thursday.

He went to a house in the 400 block of Cynthia Avenue on March 18, “a house that’s known in the area for getting rowdy, for arguments, for drinking, for drugs, for gambling, a place you do not necessarily want to bring a firearm,” prosecutor Robert Cabe said Thursday as he argued that Hutchings shouldn’t be eligible for bond.

Hutchings, 23, is charged with murder in the death of Tarus Fair, 24.

The man Hutchings argued with and exchanged shots with, 42-year-old Tony Ellis, initially was charged with murder, but charges against him were later dismissed after evidence supported his claims that he fired in self-defense.

Appearing in Bibb County Superior Court on Thursday, Hutchings’ lawyer, Paul Christian, asked a judge to rule that Hutchings would be eligible for bond if his case didn’t go to trial by the end of the trial term that begins Oct. 31.

Otherwise, because he was indicted within 90 days of his arrest, Hutchings wouldn’t be automatically entitled to a bond.

The judge denied Christian’s request.

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Man charged with murder had just been released from jail in gun case."