A Missouri judge who freed a man accused of killing a mother and her daughter in a horrific speeding crash has been condemned for her soft stance toward criminals.
Judge Annette Llewellyn controversially overlooked officers' warnings that 22-year-old driver Monte Henderson posed a “danger to the community” as she released him on $20,000 bail this month.
She did this despite horrific footage that allegedly showed him hitting a mother and daughter after running a red light at 70 miles per hour, killing both of them instantly.
A former public defender, Llewellyn was one of the first hires of ousted Democratic St. Louis District Attorney Kim Gardner, whose soft stance toward violent criminals led her to resign from her position in May 2023.
Since leaving Gardner's Soros-backed office and taking over the bank in 2018, Llewellyn has angered some critics by adopting a similarly lax attitude toward her old boss – most recently releasing Henderson on bail.
She faced backlash in her first year on the bench after she sentenced a woman to just two years of probation even though one of her daughters fatally shot her siblings when she left a loaded gun and passed out under the influence of drugs, reported STL Today.
Judge Annette Llewelyn (pictured) sparked backlash this month when she released a motorist accused of killing a mother and daughter – the latest in a series of lenient sentences, according to critics
Llewellyn was one of the first hires of former St. Louis District Attorney Kim Gardner (pictured), who was ousted in May 2023 because she was seen as too soft on crime
After Henderson was released on bail, there was outrage on social media when shocking surveillance footage was released this week that captured the moment mother and daughter Laticha Bracero, 42, and Alyssa Cordova, 21, were beaten.
Henderson, who admitted to being the driver, according to charging documents, was seen running a red light at a high rate of speed before plowing into the mother and daughter, killing them.
Two other teenage girls and a 61-year-old woman were also injured in the crash, in which Henderson collided with several other vehicles as he drove through the lights.
Police say he was driving over 70 miles per hour when he allegedly caused the tragedy.
However, Llewellyn overlooked a probable cause statement in which he argued he was a “danger to the community” and “unlikely to voluntarily appear for a summons” and allowed his release on $20,000 bail, according to STL Today. Dollar.
At the forefront of the backlash were Bracero and Cordova's family, who told 5 On Your Side after being released on bail that they were “mystified how a man could take two lives and two days later find himself free and sitting at home with his family.” can.”
“We have many questions and demand answers,” they said. “My family demands accountability from everyone… from the driver, the police, the prosecutor.”
Laticha Bracero, 42, (left) and her daughter Alyssa Cordova, 21, (right) were struck and killed while leaving a Drake concert on February 14. Her relatives said mother and daughter were 'inseparable'
22-year-old Monte Henderson is said to have plowed into them at the intersection after running a red light at 70 miles per hour. He faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in connection with the deaths of the mother and daughter
Shocking footage showed mother and daughter walking past the intersection while oncoming traffic stopped at a red light
Suddenly, Henderson's Jeep Grand Cherokee is seen flying into intersecting traffic, first colliding with the front bumper of another car before plowing into the mother and daughter
Llewellyn's history with Garnder dates back to 2017, when she was hired by the district attorney's office to oversee its criminal defense attorneys.
She was a public defender for criminals and said her past on the other side of the bench made her glad Garnder took a softer stance compared to her predecessors.
“What I saw from that office was an 'us versus them' feeling,” she said. “That was the culture…It was prosecutor versus defense.”
During her time in office, Garnder sparked anger with her actions in law enforcement – once leading a police officer to condemn her for her “concerted effort to destroy the system.”
Republicans threatened to impeach her and resigned before impeachment legislation could be passed.
After the Soros-backed prosecutor resigned and was replaced, her successor immediately doubled down on prosecutions as he worked to clear the overloaded caseload.
Llewellyn left the prosecutor's office and ascended to the bench in 2018 – and she faced scrutiny over a lenient ruling in her first year.
She sentenced 29-year-old mother Ebony R. Jones to two years probation after her 6-year-old daughter was shot by one of her siblings.
Although Jones' boyfriend admitted to police that he had passed out under the influence of drugs and left a loaded 9mm handgun on the ground, the involuntary manslaughter charge was dropped and she was given a suspended sentence – and ordered take part in parenting courses.
KSDK reported that she also faced scrutiny after challenging a man accused of domestic violence against his wife for 10 percent of a $20,000 bond in February 2022.
The judge came under scrutiny in her first year as a judge when she sentenced 29-year-old mother Ebony R. Jones (pictured) to two years probation after her six-year-old daughter was shot by one of her siblings
Gardner's funding from billionaire investor George Soros (pictured) caused a stir before her resignation last year
When asked by phone Monday how Henderson was able to post $20,000 bail, his attorney, Scott Rosenblum, would not say where the funds came from – but added to that Henderson ” “I have a very supportive family.”
Henderson's release on bail sparked outrage online after shocking footage of the crash went viral, as it became clear he was released from custody within days after mysteriously posting 10 percent of his $200,000 bail had.
He faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in connection with the deaths of the mother and daughter.
According to police, he ran a traffic light on Olive Street downtown. The footage showed the red light as he sped past the intersection in his Jeep Grand Cherokee.
He was seen driving at high speeds before initially colliding with the front bumper of another car, causing him to plow into Bracero and Cordova.
Bracero was pronounced dead at the scene and Cordova died shortly after being taken to the hospital, police said.
Henderson was also hospitalized in the accident and was in critical condition at the time.
In his charging documents, St. Louis Police Officer Matthew Wieczorek argued that Henderson should remain in custody because he was believed to be a danger to the community and unlikely to appear for a summons.
But Llewellyn disagreed and set his bail at $200,000, or 10 percent cash, because he had no prior crimes.
After the charges were filed, Henderson's attorney said in a statement: “This is a very tragic accident, Monte is a very upstanding young man; is involved in science and sport.'
In response, St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy told the St. Louis Business Journal, “He will be held accountable. 'He destroyed families and killed two people.'
Tributes were paid to the mother and daughter after their senseless deaths. A friend described them as “great people, the life of the party, always keeping people awake and helping out whenever they could.”
Bracero was pronounced dead at the scene and Cordova died shortly after being taken to the hospital
Tributes have been paid to the mother and daughter following her senseless death as those who knew them said they were “inseparable”.
According to the GoFundMe, Bracero, known as “Lety,” was a supervisor at Wintrust Bank in Chicago, and Cordova attended a nearby college and worked part-time at Starbucks.
They were known to frequently travel to concerts together, and the fundraiser said they came from a “close, strong family.”
“The family is deeply devastated by this terrible tragedy,” the post continued. “The two were inseparable and had a strong bond.”
After the fundraiser surpassed its $25,000 goal, an update shared by one of Bracero's sisters said, “It's hard to express how much our family appreciates everyone who has come together across the country .”
“My sister and niece were the most loving people you could ever meet.” They were so kind and sweet.
“They spoke of positivity and helped others across the country and beyond. “They have done so much for others. I’m sure they received their wings immediately.”
Bracero, known as “Lety,” (pictured left, with a friend) was a supervisor at Wintrust Bank in Chicago, and Cordova attended a nearby college and worked part-time at Starbucks.
Jordan Carrion, a childhood friend of Cordova, told STL Today that the 21-year-old and her mother were “great, sweet people.”
“Lety was always there to help others and always give the best advice,” he said, adding that she was like a “second mother” to him who helped raise him and his siblings.
He said she had a “lust for life, even when life was hard to live” and would give advice “even if it was advice you didn't want to hear.”
“They were great people, the life of the party, always keeping people awake and helping out when they could,” Carrion said.
“I want them to be remembered through this – and not the careless actions of others.”
Cousin Nicole Rivera told 5 On Your Side that they were “best friends” and that going to concerts together was “her thing.”
“If I'm honest, the only way I can get through this is knowing that they were together, because if one of them had made it, they wouldn't have survived without the other,” she said.
“We want them here more than anything, but if we can’t have that, of course we want justice.”