COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man accused of murdering a woman in her condo near The Ohio State University was released from jail less than 24 hours before her stabbing death, according to Franklin County Common Pleas Court records.
Michael Brooks, 28, was being held in the Franklin County Jail on a felony assault charge. His bond was initially set at $125,000 and a request was made to the judge for his bond to be decreased to $90,000.
According to Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page, once he pleaded guilty to two counts of felony fleeing on Sept. 5, he was released on a $10,000 reporting recognizance bond on Sept. 8 pending his sentencing. The recognizance bond means that he could be released without having to post bond so long as he appears for his court hearing.
On the afternoon of Sept. 9, the day after Brooks' release, a stabbing occurred on Iuka Avenue in the University District.
A neighbor called 911 saying she heard 77-year-old Emily Foster on the phone asking for help. The neighbor then found Foster dead in her condo, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
Using cameras, police were able to locate a photo of the suspect, identified as Brooks, riding a bicycle in the area. He was charged on Sept. 13 with murder.
Police say that while investigating the whereabouts of Brooks following Foster’s death, they linked him to two stolen vehicles from the Dayton area on Sept. 13.
Columbus police were notified on Sept. 14 that Brooks was taken into custody in Georgia.
Columbus Police Deputy Chief Smith Weir said during a press conference that a homeowner called the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, saying that he shot a home invader, identified by police as Brooks, on Thursday just before 2 a.m.
Brooks was taken to a hospital and is under the guard of law enforcement. He is expected to survive his injuries.
He faces burglary charges in Georgia and will eventually be extradited to Ohio.
“He does have a criminal history that spans Columbus police, some of the area suburbs, Franklin County, some agencies and cities up and down 75. All the way from Detroit, obviously now down to Georgia and some communities in between,” Weir said.