A Florida prosecutor is defending the release of a man once deemed insane who, shortly after his discharge, allegedly stalked and executed three tourists near Disney World.
State Attorney Monique Worrell said Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was released under Florida law after mental health evaluators determined he was no longer a danger and that prosecutors and judges had no legal authority to keep him confined.
"The individual went through the legal process," Worrell said. "Once he was deemed no longer dangerous, the statute prohibited involuntary commitment."
Worrell said Bojeh was ordered to continue outpatient treatment but later fell out of compliance when he could no longer pay for care. "My understanding is that he was no longer in compliance because of inability to pay," she said.
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Authorities say Bojeh later watched three men from a neighboring home as they waited outside a vacation rental for roadside assistance, then approached and opened fire, killing all three without provocation.
The victims - brothers Robert Luis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan, and Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio, along with their friend James John Puchan, 69, also of Columbus - were visiting Central Florida to attend a collector car auction. They had extended their stay after experiencing rental car trouble and were preparing to leave when they were shot.
WATCH: Prosecutor explains release before triple tourist killing
Bojeh, who lived next door to the rental property, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and is being held without bond.
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FLORIDA REPEAT OFFENDER ALLEGEDLY KILLED 3 TOURISTS MINUTES FROM MAGIC KINGDOM AFTER RUN OF VIOLENCE: RECORDS
The killings have renewed scrutiny of Bojeh's prior violent history, including a 2021 case in which he was charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly firing a gun at a person and at random vehicles at a gas station.
In that case, Bojeh was found not guilty by reason of insanity and later released under conditional supervision.
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Critics, including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, have argued that the insanity defense and conditional release system allowed a violent offender to return to the community unchecked. He has called for narrowing the insanity defense, saying it has become a loophole that puts the public at risk.
"Across the country, we see violent criminals getting to walk free, back into society, because of insanity defenses," Uthmeier told Fox News Digital. "We won't tolerate leftist prosecutors releasing murderers and violent criminals to hurt our families."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Worrell's office for comment.
