An Ohio repeat offender was accused of killing someone just days after a nonprofit paid his bail, which allowed him to be released from jail.
Donnie Allen allegedly shot and killed 27-year-old Benjamin McComas at a Cleveland light rail station around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, according to murder suspect is a repeat offender who has previously either pleaded guilty or was convicted of the following crimes:
- 2024: Two counts of attempted burglary, assault on a peace officer, obstructing official business, resisting arrest and drug possession
- 2022: Burglary
- 2021: Burglary
- 2019: Two counts of burglary and one count of criminal damaging
Allen's attorney, James Jenkins, told Fox News Digital that the Dec. 14 alleged murder was "far from" an intentional homicide.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for The Bail Project told Fox News Digital: "The Bail Project condemns violence and we are deeply concerned by the recent allegation involving Mr. Allen."
"Our mission at The Bail Project is to ensure that people are not jailed pretrial solely because they cannot afford bail. Our organization exists to address inequities in a system where wealth often determines who remains incarcerated before trial," the group said. "Any loss of life is a tragedy, and we remain committed to building a fairer, more just pretrial system that respects due process, promotes safety, and avoids a misguided reliance on cash bail."
The Bail Project didn't respond to a follow-up question asking if the organization considered Allen's previous arrests and convictions before fronting the money for him to be released.
In written answers to a questionnaire by The Marshall Project in 2024, Kennedy said she felt bail reform was necessary.
"Bail reform is necessary to address issues of inequities within the criminal justice system. I believe this is an ever-evolving matter that must constantly be addressed to promote equal access to justice and prevent unnecessary pretrial detention," she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Cuyahoga County Court for comment.